Tonight I will also meet with the community in Bairnsdale here in Victoria as part of Bush Talks . Health is also an area that has received some well-deserved attention across all sectors in recent weeks. At the Regional Australia Summit two weeks ago, for example, health was one of the main topics raised as a concern for regeneration of country Australia. A commitment to rural and remote health was included in the Communique from that summit. Today I thought I would spend a little time explaining our international obligations with regards to the human right to health.
Human rights belong to every person by virtue of birth.
They are not only for majority groups or for minority groups but for everyone equally and without discrimination. Human rights are also not granted to us by others or by the government. They are ours to be enjoyed simply by reason of our common humanity and innate dignity as human beings. For that reason we cannot agree to give them up and they cannot be taken away from us. Most people are aware of their civil and political rights, for example the right to freedom of expression and the right to vote.