internationally, it is a legal obligation," Dr Goldie said.

"The Government is involved in the UN Security Council, it is an important member of the United Nations systems, and these are serious international legal obligations that it is obliged to meet.

"These are not discretionary obligations that the Government can pick and choose from. They are founded in important international human rights obligations."

Social Services Minister defends tough welfare measures

ACOSS said the committee's findings backed up criticism from community and welfare groups about the impact of the tough welfare measures on jobseekers under the age of 30.

Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews told the Human Rights Committee that the budget measure was aimed at increasing the numbers of young people in work if they were able to do so.

"This measure seeks tonecessary in order to assess the human rights compatibility of this measure."

The committee is chaired by Senator Smith and includes four other Government members, four Labor representatives and one from the Greens.

It found another budget proposal, to lift the age of eligibility for the Newstart allowance from 22 to 25, was also in breach of Australia's international obligations because it was incompatible with the rights to equality and non-discrimination on the basis of age.

Topics: unemployment, welfare, community-and-society, federal-government, federal-parliament, budget, rights, australia

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