Equal opportunity ensures that each person receives the same treatment as another person in the same or similar circumstances.
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission was established in 1986 by an act of Federal Parliament. It has the goal of fostering greater understanding and protection of human rights in Australia. If any person believes they have been discriminated against in areas of public life or due to criteria such as nationality, race, religion or sexual preference, this is an avenue they can pursue for help.
Some people view equal opportunity laws and programs as a form of political correctness. They see policies that attempt to encourage participation of under-represented groups as unfair towards people not in those groups. Such views are created when people cannot see the difference between treating people unequally and treating people unfairly.
26 November 2004