annual report 08-09 - Public Interest Advocacy Centre

GOVERNMENT
& DEMOCRACY
28
AIMS
• To enhance the capacity of
individuals and non-profit
organisations to undertake
advocacy and related activities
on public interest issues.
• To promote government
responsiveness to Australian
community diversity.
• To enhance community
awareness of and engagement in
government.
• To promote transparency and
accountability in the exercise of
government power.
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
• Delivery of an increased number
of courses and training days.
• Inclusion of PIAC
recommendations in freedom of
information legislation.
• Completion of A Question of
Balance, in partnership with the
Whitlam Institute and the Social
Justice & Social Change Research
Centre at the University of
Western Sydney.
GOVERNMENT AND THE THIRD
(COMMUNITY) SECTOR
PIAC has an ongoing interest in
progressing a new legal and administrative
framework for governance of the notfor-profit
sector and is a member of
the National Roundtable of Non-Profit
Organisations Advisory Group. PIAC
continues to work with the Australian
Council of Social Service (ACOSS), and the
NSW-based Forum of Non-Government
Agencies (FONGA) and others on this issue.
In September 2008, PIAC made a
submission to the Senate Economics
Committee’s into the Disclosure
regimes for charities and not-for-profit
organisations, supporting the need for
all not-for-profit organisations to be
accountable to government and the
community.
PIAC argued that the not-for-profit sector
is already subject to a lot of regulation and
what is needed is better and more-targeted
regulation rather than more regulation.
PIAC also noted that charities and notfor-profit
organisations have been the
subject of many inquiries and reports, and
that very few of the recommendations
have been implemented. PIAC argued
that Senate Inquiry should build on the
findings of these inquiries rather than
conduct more research.
The report of the Committee was handed
down in December 2008. It supported
many of PIAC’s recommendations. These
recommendations were noted by the
Government and have informed further
research during 2009. No substantial
change has yet occurred.
PIAC attended a ‘Special Forum of
Australian Non-Profit Organisations’
convened by Senator Ursula Stephens’
office in late 2008. There was much
discussion on the role and importance
of the sector and the need to convene a
new group to represent the sector as a
whole. Subsequent discussions in 2009
focussed on the development of a National
Compact between the Third Sector and the
Government. PIAC will make a submission
to this process in the second half of 2009.
PIAC also made a brief submissions to
the first and second stages of the Henry
Review of Taxation, urging that special
consideration be given to the issues
related to the definition, regulation and
taxation status of charities and not-forprofit
organisations. PIAC called, once
again, for the recommendations of
previous inquiries into the sector to be
implemented.
PUBLIC INTEREST ADVOCACY CENTRE • ANNUAL REPORT 2008-2009