Don’t miss your chance to grill Charities Minister Andrew Leigh

Posted on 25 Jun 2024

By Greg Thom, journalist, Institute of Community Directors Australia

Charities Minister Andrew Leigh has acknowledged a level of frustration in some quarters of the charity and not-for-profit sector at the pace of legislative reform.

Some NFP sector leaders have begun to question whether the Albanese government, after two years in power, is moving quickly enough to address their concerns.

The rumblings come amid multiple government inquiries into the sector:

a blueprint being developed by the Blueprint Expert Reference Group (BERG)

a Department of Social Services (DSS) study of community sector funding

the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into philanthropy.

Speaking to the Community Advocate ahead of taking part in the next episode of the Not-for-Profit Agenda news webcast on July 3, Dr Leigh urged charities and NFPs to be patient.

“Look, I’m a reformer and I would always like things to be done quicker, so I can understand anyone who says why don’t we move more swiftly on these changes,” he said.

“But what we’ve done is sought to work collaboratively with the sector, to engage, and you see that through our appointments [to key positions in the sector].”

Dr Leigh described the forthcoming final Productivity Commission report into philanthropy as “the most important piece of work looking at philanthropy in decades.”

The report was handed to the federal government on May 10 and must be tabled in parliament within 25 sitting days.

Dr Leigh, who said he had read the final report but was not at liberty to discuss its contents yet, said it would be up to the sector as to how it responded.

“But I certainly think this is a substantial piece of work, the most important piece of work looking at philanthropy in decades.

“It sets Australia up for a better, fairer, simpler philanthropy system and the ability to encourage people to give more.”

Have your chance to quiz Dr Leigh about the biggest issues facing the sector during the next Not-for-profit Agenda newscast, at 12.30pm AEST on Wednesday July 3.

This free live webinar, hosted by Institute of Community Directors Australia journalists Matthew Schulz and Greg Thom, will feature not-for-profit and charity leaders speaking about the progress of major reviews into NFP funding and philanthropic giving, and the creation of a blueprint for the sector’s future.

This fast-paced newscast is a great way to get up to speed with the sector’s most pressing issues in the time it takes you to eat your lunch.