The Australia Institute has welcomed the Senate Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation decision to recommend that the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Amendment (2021 Measures No. 2) Regulations 2021 be disallowed.

The Committee, chaired by Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, outlined concerns which include that the regulation lacks clarity, would give the Charities Commissioner a “broad discretion” and may impermissibly burden the implied freedom of political communication.

“The proposed limitations would put charities at risk of deregistration based on suspicion alone, create onerous bookkeeping requirements and give arbitrary power to the Charities Commissioner,” said Ben Oquist, executive director of the Australia Institute.

“The regulations amount to an assault on freedom and our democracy.

“The Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation is right to recommend that this measure be disallowed.

“The committee is performing an important accountability function: limiting executive overreach and requiring major changes in the law to come from Parliament, not the Government.

“The Senate will hopefully take this opportunity to reject these onerous and clumsy regulations.”