Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

cALLISTER (—) (): As Senator Bragg observed about his own contribution, it has been a wide-ranging debate which has canvassed a range of issues, few of which are directly connected to the substance of the bill before us. To that extent, it's not my intention to range quite as widely as all of my Senate colleagues but I did want to make just one comment. Senator Scarr, of course, today took the opportunity to elevate some of the recently published research about an increase in reported incidents of anti-Semitism and racism. He sought to make some comments here about our shared obligation and responsibility to combat these behaviours and to combat the beliefs that enable them and support them. Because words matter. Words, as Senator Scarr's earlier contribution demonstrate for us, can lead to action, to give permission to people who believe it's okay to bully, intimidate, harass and vilify people on the basis of their faith or on the basis of their race. It is completely unacceptable. Racism and anti-Semitism are completely unacceptable. I hope that everyone in this chamber would share that view and understand our mutual responsibility to combat it.

To return to the matters before the Senate, the bill before us, the Treasury Laws Amendment (2022 Measures No. 5) Bill 2022, amends the Income Tax Assessment Act to include the Australian Education Research Organisation Limited, the Jewish Education Foundation, Melbourne Business School Limited, Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition, the Leaders Institute of South Australia and St Patrick's Cathedral Melbourne Restoration Fund on the list of deductible gift recipients. It extends the current listing for Sydney Chevra Kadisha and Australian Women Donors Network, and it removes the listing for Mount Eliza Graduate School of Business and Government Limited.

People here and people listening understand that deductible gift recipient status allows members of the public to receive income tax deductions for the donations that they make to these organisations. In contemplating this legislation, and I hope providing support for it, the parliament and the Australian government are supporting these organisations in their provision of valuable community services by granting them deductible gift status. I commend the bill to the Senate.