ABBOTT TURNS HIS BACK ON THE NOT-FOR-PROFIT SECTOR

CampaignMediaRelease

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus

Assistant Treasurer David Bradbury

ABBOTT TURNS HIS BACK ON THE NOT-FOR-PROFIT SECTOR

Today we saw another indication that the Coalition will seek to ignore the not-for-profit sector and silence them from speaking out against the savage cuts they have planned.

Labor banned the use of the Howard Government’s ‘gag clauses’ at a Federal level and established the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).

The Coalition today confirmedthey would abolish the ACNC. The question is: would the ban on gag clauses go with it?

Liberal State Governments in NSW and QLD have reintroduced gag clauses into contracts which prohibit charities which receive government funding from speaking out against their cuts or criticising government policy.

The practice was first introduced by the Howard Government.

This is what Liberal Governments do. John Howard did it. Campbell Newman and Barry O'Farrell did it. Tony Abbott would do it. It is in their blood.

Under the Coalition, organisations would risk losing their funding if they dare to publicly criticise the Government.

Federal Labor has put in place the foundations so that the NFP sector has the opportunity to grow and thrive.

The Coalition’s agenda is clear. They cut hard and then try to silence any criticism.

MELBOURNE
1 SEPTEMBER 2013