Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Charities Bill 2013 and the Charities (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2013. I believe that strong local communities are critical to the future of our nation and I believe it is our job as parliamentarians to help facilitate stronger, healthier and more vibrant local communities in our electorates. As parliamentarians we are elected to support our local communities by empowering local not-for-profits and charities to carry out their work in a way that effectively addresses the specific needs of our community.

Only our local community charitable organisations see day in, day out the real nature of what is happening on the ground in our communities. The people who are involved in the not-for-profits often are there at the coalface and see both the demand that is required of their charitable organisation and the challenges that people are confronted with because of decisions that are made in the context of their life and the life changes that occur, sometimes by their own doing but often not—often by policy changes and shifts. They are ideally placed to deliver targeted services meeting individuals where they need assistance. Rather than trying to deliver misplaced assistance, these local charities are the ones who offer a hand-up to our community members who are less fortunate, helping them get back on their feet.

In my role I have seen time and time again the difference that the charitable organisations make to the overall wellbeing of my community. I have also been a contributor and a member of many not-for-profit and charitable organisations in the endeavours to make a difference for the quality of life of people by providing opportunities for families and individuals who require support across a range of sectors. In particular, Indigenous organisations were the focus of my work in my early years but, as I became much more attuned to the needs across the diverse demographic of the community in which I lived, I contributed many hours to helping attain the goals of those organisations. In fact, only last Friday night I recognised several groups from my own electorate who were doing a great job in serving our local community in various ways.

What confounds me is why this government is intent on doing its very best to attack this sector. Why is this government trying to interfere with what these organisations do best? These bills are the latest incarnation of a saga that has been dragging on for a couple of years now under this government. This government has a bee in its bonnet about charities and seems determined to introduce government interference into a sector that has been quietly going about its business for many years. The whole issue of compliance and the time it takes, taking people away from frontline services and delivery in the context of already strained resources, is problematic. Many I have spoken to have no problems with the fact that there is a compliance requirement, but the degree of that compliance and the reach of Canberra into the work they do will only be a further impediment to their work and their focus on making a difference to the lives of so many people who require their help.

In May 2011, this government signalled that it would be making substantial changes to the NFP sector. This government announced that it would be giving the industry less than two months to understand and accommodate changes which were to come into effect in July 2012. There was such an outcry from the sector at the fact that this government would want to impose these changes without consultation and without a reasonable time frame, and this government finally bowed to pressure to extend the deadline by just a few months, and that was done. Despite this, in talking with charitable organisations and not-for-profits within my community—

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