New appointment to Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission

Attorney-General Robert Clark today announced that Ms Colleen Pearce has been appointed as a board member of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission.

Mr Clark said Ms Pearce brought a wealth of experience to the position.

“As Victoria’s Public Advocate, Ms Pearce protects and upholds the rights of people with disabilities and addresses issues of exploitation, abuse and neglect.” Mr Clark said.

“Prior to her appointment as Public Advocate in 2007, Ms Pearce worked for the Department of Justice, where her roles included responsibility for the department’s Disability Action Plan and Cultural Diversity Plan, as well as establishing a more responsive and integrated services system for victims of crime and the development of the Victorian Child Witness Service.

“Ms Pearce has a long history of valuable practical service to the community, including providing support to women under threat of family violence, managing health services for culturally and linguistically diverse communities and providing drug and education programs,” Mr Clark said.

Ms Pearce is currently a board member of Connecting Home and has previously been a member of the Frontier Services Board of Governance and the Northern Health Board.

“The Commission and the Victorian public will be well served by Ms Pearce’s abilities, dedication and experience,” Mr Clark said.