Director of the National Roundtable of Nonprofit Organisations, David Thompson AM, has welcomed the introduction in the Federal Parliament today of legislation to establish the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).
“This is an historic day for nonprofit organisations and a significant step towards the better, more efficient regulation that the sector has been seeking for many years,” Mr Thompson said.
“This legislation, if passed by the Parliament, will ensure that we continue to have a strong, vibrant and accountable nonprofit sector, rather than one that is choked by red-tape and regulatory overlap.”
The legislation establishes the ACNC as a one-stop-shop for national nonprofit regulation, with the specific objective of reducing the regulatory burden on the nonprofit sector, while improving transparency and accountability.
The legislation also transfers responsibility for determining eligibility for charitable status from the Australian Tax Office to the ACNC – separating this important regulatory function from the agency responsible for collecting taxes.
“There are 600,000 nonprofit organisations around Australia contributing some $43 billion to Australia’s GDP, so getting the regulation of this sector right is of major importance – not just to charities and nonprofits, but to the entire nation,” Mr Thompson said.
“I congratulate the Government on this positive step forward and encourage all Members of the Federal Parliament to support the legislation”.