The Commissioner of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), Dr Gary Johns, was referred to the Indigenous Affairs Minister over his “offensive” comments about Indigenous women, environment charities and LGBTQI+ rights.
Johns was asked if past statements – including when he said Indigenous women are being “kept pregnant and producing children for cash” – could suggest he held a bias of Indigenous charities and if he would like to rescind the comments, to which he said no.
It comes as Johns explained to a Senate estimates hearing that he would not allow ACNC staff to include the regulator in Acknowledgements of Country in their email signatures out of fears that it would demonstrate a “bias” towards Indigenous charities.
Johns is also under fire for controversial comments that suggested people on welfare should be required to take contraceptives and over criticisms he made about suicide prevention charity, BeyondBlue, for supporting marriage equality.
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