| ACDJ News: Senate Enquiries and the Exclusive Brethren |
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Dear Friends, Hello and welcome to another eBulletin from the Australian Centre for Democracy and Justice. Don't forget to keep up to date with all the latest at our website: www.democracyandjustice.org. And we're always contributing to debate at our blog, Darkness at Noon: http://darknessatnoon.com. We're also working hard over at http://lobbyocracy.org. We'll keep these brief and only send them out when we've something to tell you. If you don't want to be on this email list please simply reply with "unsubscribe" in the subject. Feel free to circulate this eBulletin as widely as you see fit and if you're not on the mailing list but would like to be please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with "subscribe" in the subject heading. Contents:
2. Feature Lobbyocracy article: Exclusive Brethren 3. Membership 4. Other Organisation's Events ===== 1. Senate Inquiry into the Disclosure Regimes for Charities and Not-for-profit Organisations The Australian Centre for Democracy and Justice has put in a submission to the current Senate Inquiry into the Disclosure regimes for charities and not-for-profit organisations. The inquiry has important implications for non-profit groups and community empowerment. The ACDJ's submission now available from the Parliament of Australia website at: http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/economics_ctte/charities_08/submissions/sub73.pdf. A list of all submission can be found at: http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/economics_ctte/charities_08/submissions/sublist.htm. We made two key arguments. Firstly, that the current disclosure and reporting regime is a mess and in need of a clean up. At the moment this problem is primarily that each state has different requirements which creates a lot of confusion. So we propose that a central regime and governing body be created. We hope that this will make reporting requirements for non-profit organisation a lot clearer and encourage giving by promoting confidence in the system and a confidence that a donation will be use appropriately. We also noted that it would be worthwhile creating a central online repository of non-profit annual reports for scrutiny by the general public. Secondly, we argued that organisations with Deductible Gift Recipient Status should be able to use the money raised with this status for advocacy activities. We argued that the current limitation means non-profit organisations are not able to adequately represent the rights and opinions of their consumers, members and supporters. It is at the cost of a robust democracy that non-profits be limited in what advocacy they can do. If you’d like to discuss these issues any further why not get involved with the discussion at our blog: Darkness At Noon (www.darknessatnoon.com)
2. Feature Lobbyocracy article: Exclusive Brethren The Exclusive Brethren, led by Bruce D. Hales, are a fundamentalist Christian sect who forbid their members from voting but have had a growing influence on elections around the world since 2004, breaking more than 150 years of tradition. It is said to boast a membership of 43,000 largely based in Australia, New Zealand and UK. In October 2007 it was uncovered that Sydney-based Brethren elders and lobbyists, Stephen Hales and Warwick John gained permanent access to Federal Parliament as lobbyists after being sponsored by former minister Danna Vale and the member for Bass, Michael Ferguson. These passes grant access to the offices of ministers and backbenchers. It was revealed in February 2008 that Federal Opposition leader Brendan Nelson also help Brethren lobbyist Stephen Hales to get a lobbyist's pass former Tasmanian Liberal MP Michael Ferguson. Read the rest of the article here: http://lobbyocracy.org/index.php?title=Exclusive_Brethren ==== 3. Become a Member Today! By becoming a member of the Australian Centre for Democracy and Justice you help fund one of Australia's few global justice organisations. We receive no corporate or government funding we are entirely dependent on people like yourself to keep us going. As a member of the Centre you'll be the first to know about all our activities and be entitled to a range of privileges as they become available. You'll also be left with that warm inner glow that you get from knowing that you're supporting an organisation that fights for a better world.
* Students/concessions - $20 * Full price/Waged - $40 * Solidarity/Household/Organisation - $100 OurCommunity.com.au kindly processes our memberships for us and you can sign up at their site at: http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/membership/membership_details.form?membershipId=715. Alternatively you can print out a membership form at: http://www.democracyandjustice.org/images/Membership%20form.pdf and send it back to us. Donations can also be made through the OurCommunity.com.au site at: http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/acdj
==== 4. Other Organisation's Events... Film Night Fundraiser for the Mental Health Legal Centre Special screening of We're Normally Different In support of Mental Health Week, and to raise awareness of mental health issues, the LIV Young Lawyers’ Section invites you to a special screening of the documentary We’re Normally Different. Skilfully and intimately observed from a discreet distance, the documentary encourages us to reappraise what it really means to be different as we are allowed into the familiar lives, ambitions and emotions of four young people with a mental disability. Told in beautiful images, this is a warm, poetic and touching film that deeply penetrates the existence of people with a mental disability. All proceeds from this event will be donated to the Mental Health Legal Centre to support the important services provided by them to the community. When: Tuesday 7 October, 6 - 8pm Where: State Library, Village Roadshow Theatrette, Entry 3, La Trobe Street, Melbourne (between Russell and Swanston Sts) Cost: $15 LIV Members, $20 Non-members
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