Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I am surprised that those opposite are objecting as if this is some sort of cynical debate about Australia’s charities. These charities do a fantastic job. If you do not support what these charities do, put your hand up. Come on. These charities do a fantastic job. On top of that, if these charities were to suddenly withdraw from the field, the cost to the Australian taxpayer of filling the jobs that they currently do in critical sectors like aged care and caring for the homeless and disadvantaged, frankly, would be huge—leaving aside what is just the basic, decent human thing to do for those people out in the Australian community who need help.

Out there in the community, the smart thing to do is to try and do what we can at a practical level to assist in their fundraising efforts. In a small but practical measure, the government has decided to make Kirribilli House in Sydney available to Australia’s national charities, those with a national focus, to raise funds each year. What we intend to do is have the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet—

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