It’s time to protect charities’ voices
Dear Prime Minister, Hon. Anthony Albanese MP, Hon. Dr Jim Chalmers MP, Treasurer, Hon. Tanya Plibersek MP, Minister for Social Services, Hon. Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Assistant Minister for Charities;
We write to urge your government to deliver on your promise and prioritise long-overdue reforms to protect the
essential and vibrant democratic voices of the charity sector within the first year of the 48th parliament.
We are calling for the passage of reforms that will:
- Recognise that advocacy benefits the public,
- Prohibit government officers from restricting the voices of charities when they are receiving government funding, and
- Require the merit-based and transparent appointment of the Commissioner of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC)
These reforms are simple to implement and budget-neutral and were also endorsed by the government-commissioned Not-For-Profit Sector Development Blueprint. Importantly, they would deliver meaningful protection for the democratic role of charities, ensuring we can continue to speak up on critical societal challenges without fear of political interference.
In the past, our advocacy role has been vulnerable to attacks by governments, threatening charities’ essential role
in helping to create a healthy democracy in Australia. Without the proposed protections, our participation in public
debates remains at the mercy of the politics of the day.
The charity sector plays a vital role in the Australian economy and democracy, contributing approximately 8% of GDP,
employing 1.3 million Australians, and engaging around 3.4 million volunteers. We have been subject to multiple reviews in the past, with only 21 out of 160 recommendations from these reviews fully implemented. The sector patiently engaged with two further review processes during the previous term of your government – it’s time for action. The government’s own Blueprint Expert Reference Group’s submission report expressed dismay that most reported issues and their solutions had been long known and had lacked action by successive governments.
The Labor Government is in a commanding position to ensure its already stated commitment to not-for-profits
and charities becomes a reality early on in its new term of government. After much patience, perseverance and
constructive engagement with the government, we call on you to fulfil your promise to our sector and our democracy
to protect charities’ voices.
Sincerely,
103 Members and Supporters of the Stronger Charities Alliance.
Full list of signatories:
350.org Australia
Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement
Accountability Round Table
Adult Learning Australia
ALLEVIA LIMITED
Alliance for Gambling Reform
Amnesty International Australia
Anglicare Australia
Animal Liberation
AnimalKIND
Animals Australia
ANTAR
ARRCC (Australian Religious Response to Climate Change)
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
Asylum Seekers Centre
Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR)
Australian Alliance for Animals
Australian Communities Foundation
Australian Conservation Foundation
Australian Council of Social Service
Australian Democracy Network
Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network
Australian International Development Network
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights
Australian Marine Conservation Society
Australian Youth Climate Coalition
Baptist Care Australia
Be Slavery Free
Birdlife Australia
Brotherhood of St. Laurence
Buddhist Council of NSW
Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action
Canberra Alliance for Participatory Democracy
CatholicCare Diocese of Broken Bay
CLIMARTE
Climate Action Network Australia
Climate Defenders Australia
Common Threads First Peoples Organisation
Companion Animal Network Australia
Conservation Council
Conservation Council of South Australia
Conservation Council of WA
Darling Downs Environment Council
Digital Rights Watch
Dying with Dignity NSW
Environment Victoria
Environmental Justice Australia
Equality Australia
Fair Agenda
Family & Relationship Services Australia
Financial Counselling Australia
First Nations Advocates Against Family Violence
For Purpose Alliance
FOUR PAWS Australia
Friends of the Earth Australia
Gender Justice Project
Grata Fund
Greenpeace Australia-Pacific
Humane World for Animals, Australia
Human Rights Law Centre
Inclusion Australia
International Women's Development Agency
intertwine
Jubilee Australia Research Centre
Justice Connect
Knowmore Legal Service
Koala Action Inc.
Lighter Footprints
Lock the Gate Alliance
Mannifera Collective
Medical Association for Prevention of War (Australia)
National Justice Project
Nature Conservation Council of NSW
Nimbin Neighbourhood and Information Centre
Northern Territory Council of Social Service
Older Women's Network NSW
Oxfam Australia
Parents for Climate
People with Disability Australia
Peoples Climate Action Coalition T/A Peoples Climate Assembly
Philanthropy Australia
Plan International Australia
Protect Our Winters Australia
Psychology for a Safe Climate
Public Health Association of Australia
Reichstein Foundation
Renew Australia Inc.
Results International (Australia)
St Vincent de Paul Society National Council
Sunshine Coast Environment Council
Sustainable Population Australia
Tearfund Australia
The Australia Institute
The Fred Hollows Foundation
The Justice and Equity Centre
The Wilderness Society
Uniting WA
UnitingCare Australia
Volunteering Australia
Western Australian Forest Alliance
Whitsunday Conservation Council
World Animal Protection
WWF-Australia
This letter appeared as an advertisement in the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday August 5, 2025
