Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I have a series of questions, and these follow on from my spectacularly unsuccessful second reading amendment—I think I was the only voice supporting it—where I called on the government to introduce legislation detailing a definition of charities and charitable purposes and including a public benefit test within 12 months of the passage of these bills. Following on from that, can the minister provide any information on when legislation relating to the definition of 'charity' and 'charitable purpose' will be introduced, and will this contain a public benefit test? By way of background, the position in the United Kingdom, which I think is the benchmark for accountability for charities—it is something that has been tried and proven and works well with charities and the not-for-profit sector—–has included these definitions for a number of years. I support the broad intent of this legislation, but my question is: when will we go further with a definition of 'charity' and 'charitable purpose' and will it include a public benefit test?