Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Activists should pay taxes

By Gary Johns - posted Friday, 5 December 2014


The Queensland and federal governments, in the past two years, have removed its public funding. It relies on private donations from individuals and charitable trusts, and work from legal aid. But it retains tax deduction status, which means that the taxpayer subsidises its work.

Part of its sales pitch is "The Galilee Basin (is a) carbon time bomb.'' It declares in its advertising, "The climate change science debate is over and global temperatures are rising. Yet according to the Prime Minister Tony Abbott 'coal is good for humanity'.''

And "Premier Campbell Newman seems to agree and thinks we should have one of the world's biggest coalmines.''

Advertisement

The EDO opposes the Adani Carmichael underground and open-cut mine, railway and port project, which includes building Australia's largest thermal coalmine, in the Galilee Basin in central Queensland.

Apart from the fact coal revenue in Queensland raises between $2 billion and $3bn a year, many taxpayers disagree with the notion that coal should be stopped. So why should they be forced to subsidise the views of a minority who are anti-progress?

Bjorn Lomborg, the "sceptical environmentalist", observed recently that the US has lowered its carbon dioxide emissions and made money by privately investing in fracking for gas. Europeans have lowered emissions hardly at all and lose money on renewables. The US relied on innovation, the Europeans on ideology. Which camp would you rather join?

The Queensland EDO will wheel out the free speech defence, should it lose charity status, but no one has threatened its free speech, and no taxpayer should have to subsidise its participation in public debate.

The Abbott government promised to abolish the Charities Act 2013, which includes advocacy as a charitable purpose. It must make good that promise in a way that makes it clear to the High Court that advocacy is not a charitable purpose. It should deny charity status to the enemies of progress, lest the world leave Australia behind, all the poorer, stranded in a dry canal.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. All

This article was first published in The Australian.



Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

12 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Gary Johns is a former federal member of Parliament and served as a minister in the Keating Government. Since December 2017 he has been the commissioner of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Gary Johns

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Photo of Gary Johns
Article Tools
Comment 12 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy