Key Points
- Proposed amendments to the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 will impose wide ranging and extremely onerous new
compliance requirements on charities undertaking public advocacy on policy issues
- They will impact on philanthropy as well, with donors being disclosed and some having new reporting requirements
- The amendments are highly complex, poorly drafted and were not the subject of public consultation
- They will have a chilling effect on charities, making it harder for them to undertake public advocacy on policy issues
- The Electoral Act changes should be withdrawn, and redrafted to focus on undue foreign influence on political parties
To view the full Philanthropy Australia article, click here.