Tony Windsor (New England, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

or in the provision of services to the homeless—I think of the Brotherhood of St Lawrence and others which have been formally historically associated with religious organisations—they do a first-class job. The second point I make is that often the best form of delivery of social services on the ground is where you actually have government working in partnership with church and charitable organisations.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

School chaplaincies!

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Now that there has been an interjection on another matter, I will come to that in due process, Mr Speaker.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would prefer that it is ignored and that interjections stop.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, it does deal with the question of the cooperation between the church and charitable sectors. I am quite happy to take the interjection, but I will respond to the honourable member’s question first—that is, the excellent forms of partnership which exist between governments, state and federal, and many church and charitable organisations, whether it is in health, education or the broader delivery of social services. On the particular question which arises from the points that have been made by Senator Xenophon, the honourable member is right to say that whatever matters have been contained within that which contain any allegations of criminal misconduct are properly referred to the relevant authorities.

On the broader question, can I simply inform the honourable member of what constitutes tax exempt status under the Income Tax Assessment Act. The Commissioner of Taxation has responsibility for administering the law relating to the endorsement of charities. For a religious institution to get access to a range of tax exemptions and concessions, it must be endorsed also by the Commissioner of Taxation. Parliament has placed the administration of Australia’s tax laws with the Commissioner of Taxation and neither the Assistant Treasurer or the Treasurer nor any other minister may intervene in the proper exercise of these statutory powers. Furthermore, the Taxation Office is required to carry out regular reviews of endorsed organisations and their operations to ensure they continue to meet the requirements of that endorsement. The tax office publishes details of specific areas of focus for review on an annual basis. Once endorsed, religious institutions are income tax exempt. As religious institutions are also generally charitable institutions, they can also access GST concessions and fringe benefit tax concessions—not broad exemption but access to some specific exemptions. For a religion to be considered for charitable status, it must be an entity established for a public benefit that the law regards as charitable. The advancement of religion in one form or another has been part of a charity throughout the history of charity under that law. That is the legal framework within which we operate when it comes to the specific operations of the tax act and the specific operation of the Commissioner of Taxation.

On the question specifically raised about Senator Xenophon from South Australia, as I said earlier today when asked about this, he has raised some serious matters—and I go beyond the allegations of criminality which were contained within his remarks—and we as a government will reflect upon those in terms of whether any further parliamentary action is appropriate. But we would like to proceed in a cautious and methodical way in examining those matters.

Those opposite, in a related interjection, talked about the role of school chaplaincies. As I have said here before, school chaplaincies across Australia do a fantastic job. We are firmly of the view that they have provided an enormous contribution to the work of local school communities. I know it firsthand from my own electorate in Brisbane and I know it right across the country in a whole bunch of different cities and communities where they are stepping up to the plate and performing so many of the roles which school counsellors would normally perform, often in school communities where there are no school counsellors.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members—Fund them.

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Of course, different schools have different solutions and that is as it should be. I say to those opposite, though, who seek to interject in a partisan fashion that if this was—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Those opposite have on this question. I do not think I am stretching the truth when I say that they have interjected in a partisan fashion. Were this to be such an enduring commitment on the part of those opposite, I would assume it would have been put permanently into the forward estimates beyond a simple three-year allocation, which is what occurred. I simply say to those opposite that, if the depth of their commitment was to be reflected in their forward planning and what they were going to put into place in the past, I would have thought it would have endured into the future as a permanent set of funding arrangements. Of course, let us never ask the question of consistency when it comes to those opposite on any matter of policy, whether it is asylum seekers, whether it is climate change, whether it is the stimulus strategy, whether it is borrowing to keep the economy afloat or whether it is any other policy.

On school chaplaincies, we believe they are doing a fantastic job. The minister has said repeatedly that we will conclude our proper review of these services and, as I have said in this House before, I believe chaplaincies have a strong future in Australia. I have been personally associated with their operation in Queensland in the past, going back to the early 90s. I am proud of that association.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Before giving the call to the member for Makin, I indicate to the House that the interjection of the member for Flinders was not a supplementary question.