UnitingCare Australia welcomes successful ACNC legislation

UnitingCare Australia on November 1 welcomed the passage of legislation in the Federal Parliament that will establish the historic Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.

Speaking shortly after the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Bills 2012 passed the House of Representatives today, National Director Lin Hatfield Dodds congratulated the Government on establishing a new national regulator for the not-for-profit sector.

Ms Hatfield Dodds also acknowledged the significant contribution of the Australian Greens in delivering legislation that will help to enshrine the independence of the sector and to reduce the burden of unnecessary red tape which weighs heavily on the sector.

“This legislation not only establishes a new national regulator for our sector, it rightly recognises that the community services sector has come of age,” Ms Hatfield Dodds said.

“We are not an arm of government, nor a subset of the business sector.

“Our identity is defined by altruistic mission and purpose.

“Diversity and independence are central to our ability to provide services and support to some of Australia’s most vulnerable citizens.

“The legislation rightly upholds the need for the community services sector to be fully accountable to those who support it through funding, donation of their time and money and to those who access its services.

“For us, accountability is not just about transparency and openness, it’s about the best use of the often scarce resources available to the not for profit sector. By reducing unnecessary, government-imposed red tape, scarce resources can be directed to front-line service delivery.

“The ACNC legislation together with anti-gag clause measures, amendments to the Commonwealth Grant Guidelines and commitment to reducing red tape, will deliver a safeguard for the vital independence to the sector.”

Ms Hatfield Dodds said, “UnitingCare Australia has played a central role in this process to date. We look forward to working closely with the ACNC and with government as it implements its anti-gag clause and red tape reduction commitments and we will be monitoring these initiatives closely.”