Attorney-General Announces Human Rights Art Winners

Attorney-General, Simon Corbell, today celebrated the fifth anniversary of the ACT Human Rights Act, by presenting the winners of the 2009 ACT Human Rights Commission Children and Young People Art Award.

The annual award asks children and young people to present their views on the right to health in an artistic form. This year the award was open only to high school students for the first time.

"It is great to see so much local talent being translated into artworks which can reflect the hard work of the ACT Human Rights Commission," Mr Corbell said.

"The artworks are also an outstanding reflection of the many ways the right to health care can be interpreted, using a variety of themes and artistic methods.

Two prizes were awarded at the ceremony at the ACT Legislative Assembly including the Commissioner's Award: Entertainment or art supply voucher valued at $300. Second Prize (Children and Young People's Choice) was an entertainment or art supply voucher valued at $200.

The winner of the Commissioner's Award was Alicia Mozqueira. The children and young people's choice winner was chosen via an online poll of children and young people. The winner of the children and young people's choice was Parteek Kaur Saini.

The work of the finalists will hang around the Legislative Assembly for the next week for public viewings.

"The theme of the right to health in many ways encapsulated the entire work of the ACT Human Rights Commission,' said Mr Corbell.

The ACT Human Rights Commission encompasses the Children and Young People's Commissioner, the Health Services Commissioner, the Human Rights and Discrimination Commissioner and the Disability and Community Services Commissioner.

"It is also significant that we celebrate the fifth anniversary of the country's first human rights act today, given only two weeks ago the Commonwealth Government's call for submission on a national human rights act closed," said Mr Corbell.

"The ACT should feel proud that we have set the benchmark for the nation on how to protect human rights through a human rights charter, and our success has been a driving force for change at the national level."