Charities’ Free Speech at Risk
Catholic Social Services Australia has joined with faith-based charities to speak out against proposed changes to the Australia Charities and Not-for-profits Commission’s governance standards. Proposed changes would expand Standard 3 so that charities may face ‘the constant threat’ of their charitable status being removed. Dr Ursula Stephens, Chief Executive Officer of CSSA said, “We believe that the proposal as drafted will leaves us in the position of having to monitor and ‘punish’ staff, volunteers, and those of our members, or face the constant threat of our charitable status removed.”