Vale Susan Ryan AO

A wonderfully kind and generous person, Ms Ryan lived a life of firsts – the first female ACT Senator, the first female Minister for the Labor Party, the first woman to hold the women’s affairs portfolio and, later, the nation’s first Age Discrimination Commissioner. 

Rightly described as a trailblazer, Ms Ryan’s life of dedicated community service unquestionably left Australia a better place for millions of people. The introduction of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 – a law Ms Ryan created and shepherded through the Parliament – produced one of the greatest steps towards equality for women in Australia’s history. So too her work on the Equal Employment Opportunity Act 1987 and the Affirmative Action Act 1986 led to significant advancements in equality and non-discrimination. 

Ms Ryan’s contributions outside of politics continued right up until her death, as she continued to champion equality and dignity for all. As Age and then also Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Ms Ryan shone a light on issues relating to employment for older Australians and those with a disability, and set out a way forward that will benefit hundreds of thousands of Australians for years to come. 

Susan Ryan will undoubtedly be remembered as someone who made the world a better place, with the legacy of her work living on for generations to come. 

Ms Ryan’s passing is a moment of sadness for Australia and those who loved her, and the Commission extends our deepest condolences to her family and friends.