Andrew Leigh

LABOR WILL FIX FUNDRAISING AND SAVE CHARITIES MILLIONS

An Albanese Labor Government will save Australian charities millions of dollars every year by fixing our nation’s outdated fundraising laws, allowing more money to flow to people in need.

Charities are the first line of support for the most vulnerable in our communities. The sector’s staff and volunteers have helped millions of Australians rebuild their lives after floods and fires, and have kept communities together in the face of falling volunteer numbers and a decline in donations.

But their work is being hampered by unnecessary reporting requirements from a pre-internet age, with excessive paperwork costing the sector more than $1 million every month.

Charities who want to raise money online through a national campaign currently need to file paperwork registering in every state and territory, except the Northern Territory. These seven sets of forms can often take charities up to a week to comply with, sucking up resources that could otherwise support causes like assisting with rising costs of living and helping Australians rebuild their lives after natural disasters.

An Albanese Labor Government will fix this – bringing to an end the old-fashioned mish-mash of regulations that depletes resources charities could be using to support vulnerable Australians.

By streamlining fundraising laws nationwide, Labor will ensure more funds flow directly to those in need – something the Liberals have been unwilling to do for years.

Scott Morrison and his colleagues sat on their hands as Australians suffered through fires, floods and the economic fallout of coronavirus. As charities stepped up to pick up the Government’s slack over the past nine years, the Liberals’ revolving door of Charities Ministers have failed to take action to ease the burden on the sector.

Four years ago, a Senate Select Committee chaired by Labor Senator Catryna Bilyk handed down a bipartisan recommendation that the problem be fixed within two years. Coalition Senators Eric Abetz and Amanda Stoker signed on to this deadline, but nothing happened.

Eighteen months ago, the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements found that harmonised fundraising would help communities to better prepare and recover.

The Morrison Government have been reminded of the urgent need for reform by Treasury, the Charities Crisis Cabinet, the National COVID Coordination Commission not-for-profit working group, the pivotal and long-standing advocacy of the charities and governance experts behind the #fixfundraising campaign, and the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements.

Their failure of leadership is unacceptable. It is hurting charities and hurting Australians.

Only an Albanese Labor Government will work with charities, not against them, delivering a fairer society and a stronger economy.

ENDS

Authorised by Paul Erickson, ALP, Canberra