Don’t drop the charities commission

The ACNC is administering a Charity Passport underpinned by a 'report-once, use-often' reporting framework. Charities that work with different government departments will find it easier to do their reporting thanks to the Charity Passport. Scrap the ACNC, and you lose the Charity Passport.

Every day, we hear the Abbott Government claiming to be cutting red tape. Yet ironically, scrapping the ACNC means abolishing its red tape reduction directorate – the very people in charge of reducing regulatory burdens on the charitable sector.

The Abbott Government is heading up a very small minority of critics of the ACNC. According to a recent survey, four out of five charities support the work the ACNC is doing.

Over 40 charities, including the RSPCA, Lifeline and the Hillsong Church, have signed on to an open letter to keep the ACNC. As World Vision's Tim Costello notes, the ACNC 'underpins the consumer benefit to charities.' Carolyn Kitto of anti-slavery charity Stop the Traffik calls it 'a dream come true for small charities', and points out that the ACNC 'has cut the red tape dramatically' for her organisation.

As the Community Council of Australia has warned, abolishing the ACNC would be a sign that the government is not interested in the views of the charity sector. It would harm charities, who will lose visibility and governance support. And it would be bad for the public who will be more exposed to fraud and scams.