Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Bill - welcome bi-partisan support to exempt charities
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security tabled its report on 25 June, with bi-partisan support for 52 recommendations regarding the Foreign Influence Transparency Bill.
CCA and charities across our sector welcomed the Committee's recommendation to provide an exemption for registered charities to ensure the Bill does not unnecessarily snare and impede Australian charities simply going about their work, in pursuit of their charitable purpose:
Recommendation 25:
The Committee recommends the Bill be amended to provide exemptions for charities, arts organisations and industrial associations, which would operate to relieve those organisations of an obligation to register when they are making routine representations in accordance with their respective purposes, and where the relationship with the foreign principal is well known or a matter of public record.
The Committee's report is available here: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Intellige...
CCA CEO David Crosbie spoke with Sky News:
.@ComCouncil CEO David Crosbie a foreign interest register: Charities are highly regulated.
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) June 25, 2018
Provided you meet a transparency test, you will not have to go on the register.
MORE: https://t.co/uqoeVsl9tl #Speers pic.twitter.com/4LqqaveDVY
Pro Bono News and all major media covered the story.
The charity sector is cheering a “victory for common sense” after a last-minute exemption in the foreign influence bill #HandsOffOurCharities https://t.co/JtVw486y27
— Pro Bono News (@ProBonoNews) June 25, 2018
CCA CEO David Crosbie also spoke to two other Bills that are yet to be resolved: The Espionage and Foreign Interference Bill and the Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform Bill:
Great news re charity exemption in Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Bill. Still work to do to ensure legitimate work of #charities is not impeded by Espionage and Foreign Interference Bill and Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform Bill. @DavidCrosbie2 https://t.co/5NHtdzJ902
— Com Council for Aus (@ComCouncil) June 25, 2018