Mark Butler (Port Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Mental Health and Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Petrie for her question because she understands that a healthy, modern democracy needs more than just a parliament and courts to protect the rights of citizens; it needs also a vigorous civil society, a free press, independent trade unions and a vibrant not-for-profit charity sector which is free to do its good work and to speak up without fear or favour for those who often do not have a voice themselves to do so.

This freedom is under attack in Queensland. Campbell Newman has introduced clauses into Queensland government contracts with not-for-profits and with charities that prohibit them from speaking up about government policy—and even prohibit them from including links on their websites to other organisations that might be doing so. The clause is well known in the not-for-profit sector as a gag clause.

An especially bizarre feature of this gag clause in Queensland is that, not only are these organisations prohibited from talking about Queensland government policy; they are also prohibited from talking about Commonwealth government policy. I can tell the House that the Commonwealth government did not seek this protection from Campbell Newman. I don't need it. I'm pretty sure the Minister for Health doesn't need it. I'm absolutely sure the Minister for Disability Reform doesn't need it. And nor do we want it, because not only are gag clauses fundamentally antidemocratic, they are also just weak. It is a cowardly government that cannot brook criticism or dissent from Australia's not-for-profit organisations and its charities. That is why, when we were elected, we removed the gag clauses inserted under the Howard government into Commonwealth contracts, and that is why we have announced today that we will introduce legislation into this parliament to prohibit gag clauses from Commonwealth contracts now and into the future.

This is an announcement that has been warmly welcomed by the not-for-profit and charities sector. Tim Costello, the CEO of World Vision, and the head of the Community Council of Australia, released a media statement today, in which he said:

Civil society is at its best when the voice of the not-for-profit sector can be heard loud and clear. The removal of gag clauses is a critical part of the reform process, and one charities and not-for-profits will strongly welcome.

I table that media release, Madam Deputy Speaker. I also table the media release from the Council of Social Services, welcoming our announcement; and the media release from the Mental Health Council of Australia, welcoming our announcement—just as three examples.

This was a bad policy under the Howard government, and it is yet another step backward for the people of Queensland. The government does hope that our legislation ultimately will win the support of the opposition, and of other MPs in this place, to send a very clear message to Campbell Newman, and to other state governments who might be considering this, that gagging our not-for-profit organisations and our charities has no place in a modern democracy.

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