‘Today, the federal Attorney-General announced that PIAC’s CEO, Edward Santow, will be the next Human Rights Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC). He’ll be starting from late July,’ said Ralph Pliner, Chair of the PIAC Board.
‘This is a real honour. Ed has a strong record of working to protect human rights especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of our community,’ Ralph Pliner said.
‘In important ways, this will be a continuation of Ed’s work here at PIAC. PIAC exists to ensure that basic rights are protected in areas as diverse as homelessness, disability, prisons, consumer rights and the rights of victims of war crimes.’
After the Attorney-General’s announcement, Ed said: ‘I feel very honoured to be given this opportunity. All of my work at PIAC focuses on the practical protection of human rights; combating inequality and providing free legal assistance for people who cannot otherwise afford it. The AHRC gives me an opportunity to work with a wide range of people to make human rights real and meaningful.’
‘The success we have had since I started at PIAC in 2010 has been built on the hard work, skills and integrity of my colleagues, the Board, our partner organisations and the community we serve,’ Ed Santow said.
‘While I look forward to my new role as Human Rights Commissioner, over the next two months, all of my energy will be spent working within PIAC.’