Renee Coffey (Griffith, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Financial Systems and Other Measures) Bill 2025. Before coming to this place, I had the honour of working and volunteering in the Australian charity and non-profit sector for more than two decades as a volunteer, a fundraiser, a leader of teams, a CEO and a board director of other charities and nonprofits working within the sector. In that time, I had the opportunity to work to advance reconciliation between the broader community and First Nations people in South Australia, to empower young people across Australia to thrive beyond the impacts of family mental illness and to support more than 1,000 First Nations young people to gain transformative scholarships from communities throughout Australia. With each of the charities and non-profits I worked, I have been proud to work at the intersection of government, corporate and philanthropic bodies to help deliver remarkable outcomes for our community through genuine partnerships, where the whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts.

Every single day in my career and my volunteering in Australia, and especially in my electorate of Griffith, I saw volunteers, donors, partners, fundraisers and community organisations roll up their sleeves to help where governments and markets cannot. In Camp Hill, a Care Kits for Kids volunteer packs a backpack for a child who has recently entered foster care. In Musgrave Park, a Rosies volunteer hands a warm cup of coffee to someone sleeping rough. In a Morningside warehouse, a Foodbank worker manoeuvres a forklift to place another pallet of rescued food in place, ready for collection. In South Brisbane, a new, life-saving, state-of-the-art incubator is wheeled into a ward with funding from the Mater Foundation and Mater Little Miracles.

Charities and non-profits enrich our communities. They support families and vulnerable Australians in tough times, and they deliver services that we, as governments, could not deliver alone. I am so proud of our Australian charity and not-for-profit sector.

The sector has grown significantly in the last 20 years, becoming a vital economic contributor and employment powerhouse. In 2012 the Labor government established the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, ACNC, the national regulator of charities. The ACNC was established to achieve the following objects: (1) maintain, protect and enhance public trust and confidence in the Australian not-for-profit sector; (2) support and sustain a robust, vibrant, independent and innovative not-for-profit sector; and (3) promote the reduction of unnecessary regulation obligations on the sector. The ACNC's five values—fairness, accountability and transparency, independence, integrity and respect—underpin their regulatory approach.

In the most recent charities report, ACNC commissioner Sue Woodward AM revealed:

Our data confirms the charity sector should not, and cannot, be ignored or underestimated. It is a powerhouse of good, bringing benefits to many people, and is an active economic contributor and driver.

Ms Woodward said:

Charities provide such a broad range of services that they touch almost every part of the economy.

She also said:

Charities continue to be a key driver of the economy.

The ACNC has helped the charity sector by boosting public trust through its public register and accountability measures, reduced red tape for charities via the report-once-use-often framework and Charity Passport, and supported charities with guidance, education and resources to meet their obligations and improve operations. Charities that maintain their reporting to the ACNC demonstrate accountability not just to the ACNC but to donors, beneficiaries and the broader community. The ACNC's data is available to the general public online. The use of data acts as a model of good practice for the sector and provides information that can be used for advocacy, planning and program development. In 2023-24 there were 3.8 million views on the ACNC website. This oversight has helped build on the trust and confidence the Australian public feels towards our vibrant, innovative and essential charitable sector.

The contribution of Australian charities to the Australian workforce and the economy is significant. As of the most recent ACNC reporting period, Australian charities employ 1.4 million people, which is 10.7 per cent of the entire Australian workforce. In my time in the charity and non-profit sector, I have worked alongside some of Australia's most influential, inspiring and impactful leaders, including the late Lowitja O'Donoghue AC, CBE, DSG and Professor Peter Buckskin PSM, FACE from Reconciliation SA; Michelle Penfold and Andrew Penfold AM from the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation; and, more recently, Patricia Reid, Sean O'Halloran and Mark Paterson AO from the Australian Kookaburra Kids Foundation—and so many others. The opportunity to have worked with these leaders in this sector is an opportunity that I remain incredibly thankful for, and that's not to mention the dozens of remarkable colleagues I was also able to work alongside over the last two decades.

Susan Pasco AM, the inaugural ACNC commissioner, observed: 'What is it that prompts people to work in the charity sector? After all, they are paid less than their counterparts in government or business and they work under considerable public visibility, scrutiny and red tape. Overwhelmingly, charity workers are motivated to do good for others. Whether they are providing assistance to vulnerable members of the Australian and international communities, advocating on human rights or environmental issues, fundraising for the arts or medical research, or providing spiritual support, these tireless workers generally see a gap, deficit or area for enrichment and commit their energies, intellects and personal resources to making their communities better places.' This sector is filled with over 1½ million workers, working hard and with integrity to advance health, social and public welfare, education and animal welfare and to protect the natural environment.

For the sector, we know, as the Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury, Andrew Leigh, recently shared in this place, 'transparency provides the oxygen that accountability requires'. This is what the ACNC offers the sector. And in this, my new role, here in this place, I see that an important part of our work in this place is to ensure that the sector is supported with appropriate legislative changes where needed.

Each month, the ACNC receives reports of concerns about a number of charities. In 2023-24, for example, just over 2,000 concerns were received. I understand from the ACNC that many of the concerns can be handled with guidance and regulatory advice or through referral to a relevant agency. However, a small portion are referred to the ACNC compliance area for examination. When complaints are raised with charities, I understand, overwhelmingly, they will move to rectify the situation or to improve their practice. The more serious or persistent cases move to investigation, often with the involvement of other regulatory intelligence or security agencies.

The ACNC make judicious use of their enforcement powers and are able to revoke a charity's charitable status. In the 2023-24 financial year, the ACNC revoked the registration of nine charities due to compliance action and separately revoked a total of 190 charity registrations for reasons that include failure to submit their annual information statements. This legislation, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Strengthening Financial Systems and Other Measures) Bill 2025, will allow the ACNC to assure charities and donors that it is acting on issues of public concern and strengthening compliance, which will in turn boost public confidence that the sector is doing the right thing.

Schedule 2 of the legislation allows the commissioner of the ACNC to make disclosures about new or ongoing investigations where the disclosure would prevent or minimise the risk of significant harm. Secrecy provisions previously prevented the ACNC from disclosing whether it is investigating alleged misconduct by a charity. This adversely impacted public trust and confidence in the sector and in the ACNC as an effective regulator. By increasing public trust and confidence in charities and the ACNC, this reform will help to ensure donors and philanthropists continue their support for the sector. This will contribute to the government's commitment to double philanthropy by 2030.

In my previous work in the charity and non-profit sector I saw firsthand how important donor trust is. Every dollar we received was a dollar entrusted to us by the community. Without transparency and without accountability, we simply could not do the work and we couldn't achieve the outcomes. Sue Woodward AM recently shared:

Trust is the foundation upon which the charity sector is built. It underpins donor confidence, volunteer engagement and the overall effectiveness of charity activities. While charities are traditionally viewed as one of our most trusted institutions, this can't be taken for granted.

When we speak about fostering and upholding trust in the sector, I am compelled to also recognise the outstanding work of Fundraising Institute Australia, which is an organisation I had the honour of working alongside as a board director. As a national peak body for professional fundraising, FIA sets the standards that ensure integrity, transparency and accountability across the sector. Their training, accreditation and advocacy support thousands of fundraisers to do their work ethically and effectively, building confidence among donors and strengthening the impact of every dollar raised. I acknowledge their important work in the sector.

This bill doesn't just stand alone. It complements a suite of reforms, including new pathways to deductible gift recipient status, harmonisation of fundraising rules across states and territories and greater sector representation at the ACNC board. Together these measures strengthen governance, reduce red tape and give donors confidence that their generosity is respected. I am a passionate supporter of our charities and non-profit sector and I am heartened by these reforms. We, as the Australian government, should do all we can to support this vital sector and its work. My wholehearted vision for the Australian charity and non-profit sector is where government and community have high expectations for transparency, compliance and, most importantly, outcomes, and where government builds capacity, provides clarity and delivers certainty for individual not-for-profits and to the broader sector.

In every corner of our country Australians give their time, their skill and their hearts to make life better for others, and our charities and not-for-profits are the engines of that generosity. This bill strengthens the framework that supports their work, ensuring that trust, transparency and integrity remain at the centre of our national charitable life. When donors, volunteers and communities have confidence in the system, they give more, and together we can achieve more. By reinforcing the ACNC's ability to uphold accountability, we are safeguarding the sector's future and honouring the millions who contribute to it. This bill is another important step to building a stronger, fairer and more compassionate Australia.

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