Future of Govt Special Advisor on NFPs Unclear
13 January 2015 at 11:49 am
The man hired to help the Federal Government achieve its goal of abolishing the national charity regulator, the ACNC, appears to have parted ways with the Department of Social Services.
The employment of former advisor to the US Congress and right wing commentator, Ted Lapkin, as a special advisor to the Coalition Government on the Not for Profit sector is unclear after the recent Federal Ministerial reshuffle.
The former Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews hired US-born Lapkin to assist with the Government’s reform plans for the sector including the abolition of the charity regulator, the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).
Pro Bono Australia News has been told Lapkin is no longer working in the Department of Social Services because the new Minister, Scott Morrison has brought all his own people across to the new portfolio.
It is also understood that staffing of the Defence Ministry under the newly appointed Kevin Andrews is not likely to be finalised until later this week.
Lapkin was communications director for a senior member of the Republican leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Rick Lazio, who ran against Hillary Clinton in the highly publicised US Senate race in 2000.
Lapkin is also a former research fellow of the Institute of Public Affairs in Australia.
Lapkin is known as a prolific commentator on politics and public affairs whose work has appeared on the opinion pages of leading newspapers in both Australia and the United States, according to Opinion Online.
He married an Australian, and moved to Melbourne in 2002, the website said.
Pro Bono Australia News reported that he took up his position in Federal Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews’ office in January 2014.
Pro Bono Australia News has not been able to make contact with Ted Lapkin despite calls to the Departments of Social Services and Defence, as well as the Institute of Public Affairs.
The future of the ACNC remains in limbo, with key crossbench Senators refusing to support plans to abolish the regulator and the charity sector will need to wait until Parliament resumes in 2015 to learn of its fate.
