Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Bilyk, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) charities employ over one million Australians and contribute nearly one tenth of Australia's national income,

(ii) charities are the first line of support for the most vulnerable in our communities during times of economic and social upheaval, and

(iii) many charities have been doing it tough through the COVID-19 pandemic;

(b) recognises that:

(i) for several years, the charity and not-for-profit sector has been calling for reform of Australia's fundraising laws,

(ii) harmonising fundraising laws has been recommended by:

(A) Treasury's 5-year review of the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission, delivered on 31 May 2018,

(B) the unanimous report of the Senate Select Committee on Charity Fundraising in the 21st Century, on 14 February 2019,

(C) the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission's not-for-profit working group,

(D) the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements, and

(E) the Charities Crisis Cabinet, and

(iii) failure to deliver fundraising reform is costing charities and their donors around $15 million a year; and

(c) calls on the Government to:

(i) apologise to Australian charities for dragging its feet on charity fundraising reform, and

(ii) confirm a timeline for the commencement of a consistent national model for regulating charitable fundraising.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 14 December 2020 the government announced that it was delivering the most important and far-reaching reform of this sector for decades, cutting unnecessary red tape through harmonising laws across all states and territories. The government values the contribution of charities and has delivered unprecedented support to the sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. We were proud to work with the sector productively, and also with states and territories, on the harmonisation of fundraising regulation.

Question agreed to.