Repeal Day To Hit NFP Sector Reform

Dozens of regulations affecting the Not for Profit sector are expected to be dumped in one omnibus bill in Federal Parliament, along with new legislation to abolish the charity regulator, if the Coalition’s plans for a regulatory Repeal Day are successful.

The Not for Profit sector will be the focus of the Coalition Government as it moves to repeal regulations it says date back decades, in a red tape reduction bill to be introduced into Federal Parliament this month.

Dubbed as Repeal Day it is scheduled for the House of Representatives on March 26, following the introduction of an omnibus bill and a series of specific deregulation bills on March 19.

Expected to be included in the omnibus bill is the abolition of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, the ACNC, and the new Charity Act which came into force on 1 January 2014.

Leader of the House, Christopher Pyne, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, Josh Frydenberg say the Government’s first repeal day will be an important step towards the Coalition's commitment of cutting $1 billion in red and green tape each year to benefit business and Not for Profit organisations.

Before the bills are introduced the Prime Minister is expected to make a statement to the House updating the Parliament on the progress of the Government’s deregulation agenda and his Parliamentary Secretary, Josh Frydenberg, will detail cuts to red and green tape across every sector of the economy.

Christopher Pyne said repeal day would provide MPs with an opportunity to highlight the cost of the more than 21,000 new regulations introduced by the Rudd and Gillard Governments and the Coalition’s plan to cut the ineffective and inefficient regulation.

“It’s vitally important that the Parliament moves to address the burden of regulation that is strangling our economy,” he said.

“On repeal day, members will be able to outline clearly to their constituents the benefits of reducing the volume and cost of Labor’s red and green tape.”

Frydenberg said the first suite of deregulation bills followed extensive consultation with business and the Not for Profit sector.

“Stakeholders from across the economy have been conveying a consistent message to the Government that there needs to be an urgent and significant reduction in regulation to improve Australia’s productivity and competitiveness,” he said.

“The repeal day will also include the bulk-repeal of more than 8000 pieces of redundant legislation, which have sat on the statute books for far too long.

“The Coalition is committed to driving a cultural change to regulation across government. Labor’s default position was to introduce thousands of new regulations without consultation and without understanding their true impact on innovation, investment and jobs.

“In contrast, the Coalition is committed to a more efficient and effective approach that includes cutting $1 billion of red and green tape and only introducing new regulations when it is absolutely necessary to do so.”

Shadow Assistant Treasurer, Andrew Leigh said the so called ‘Repeal Day’ is driven by pure ideology rather than the evidence.

“Kevin Andrews is actually looking to repeal an agency aimed at transparency and reducing reporting duplication. Ironically, scrapping the ACNC means abolishing its red tape reduction directorate.

 “A majority of Not for Profits and charities want the regulator to continue, especially trusts and foundations, many of which had no reporting obligations before the ACNC. The regulator supports their governance and helps them be more visible and therefore able to attract more charitable giving,” Leigh said.

Pro Bono Australia News has asked Josh Frydenberg’s office for specific details of the regulations to be abolished in the omnibus bill that will directly affect the Not for Profit sector however no details have been provided so far.