The Australian Sex Party are leading a campaign to reform Australia’s Charities Act, arguing that religious organisations should have to demonstrate how they benefit the public.
Federal Senate candidate for the Sex Party, Dr Meredith Doig is petitioning the House of Representatives and Social Services Minister Christian Porter to strip the Australian Christian Lobby of its tax-exempt status and review the Charities Act.
“Currently, basic religious organisations are not only presumed to be of public benefit and given automatic tax exempt status, they also don’t have to submit financial statements to the Charities Commission and they don’t have to comply with the Charities Commission governance standards,” Dr Doig said.
The Sex Party believe the ACL are using their position as a tax-exempt organisation to run a campaign of hate and discrimination against the LGBTIQ community, highlighting the group’s use of misinformation in their campaign against the Safe Schools program.
“The Australian Sex Party does not believe in such blatant political lobbying should enjoy tax-exempt status and we will be campaigning to have this stripped from the ACL,” Dr Doig said.
OIP Staff
The ACL have been contacted for comment.
Hear hear! The Australian Christian Lobby is not charitable, and believing in religion is not charitable. The taypayer should only subsiidise truly charitable activity like helping the poor, helping the homeless and helping refugees.
There’s nothing wrong with religious organisations having tax-exempt status for the section of their business dealing with genuine charity. Just account for it and get the deduction like other businesses. If your annual report shows that you spend the majority of your revenue on emergency relief to earthquake areas and 5% on (say) costumes, you only get taxed on the 5%. Guys like World Vision have had this kind of transparency for years, with their annual accounts audited (KPMG if memory serves). It’s just basic accounting and openness.
There’s nothing wrong with religious organisations having tax-exempt status for the section of their business dealing with genuine charity. Just account for it and get the deduction like other businesses. If your annual report shows that you spend the majority of your revenue on emergency relief to earthquake areas and 5% on (say) costumes, you only get taxed on the 5%. Guys like World Vision have had this kind of transparency for years, with their annual accounts audited (KPMG if memory serves). It’s just basic accounting and openness.
I party agree with this and totally disagree with it too. Why focus on the Australian Christian Lobby? Why not state all bodies need to prove they should be tax exempt and they should prove they are charities. The other thing is that politcal bodies including lobbies should be tax exempt too. How can anyone make money out of politicing?
About time the AFL and AFL clubs paid tax, too: did you know they pay no income tax?
Thank you.
I understand the Australian Christians do help marginalized Muslim groups settle and integrate into our Australian community, a very humane and worthy cause. One should never be simplistic , presumptuous and irrational in their accusations.
If we have no opportunity, understanding, or privilege to taste the grapes, we should not deem the grapes as sour.