An anti-Christian school lobby group which advocates for controversial experimental medical interventions on gender-confused children was allocated $4.5 million in tax breaks in last night’s budget.
In a shock move, Equality Australia is to be granted Deductible Gift Recipient Status as a Public Benevolent Institution with the Albanese Government set to introduce special legislation for it if it wins the election.
Family First National Director and lead Senate candidate for NSW, Lyle Shelton, said the party would fight to have this decision reversed.
“Ever since it won the same-sex marriage campaign, Equality Australia has fought tooth and nail to undermine parents’ rights to educate their children in their values.
“Equality Australia is also the leading proponent of injecting gender confused children with puberty blockers and cross sex hormones and having girls receive mutilating chest surgeries to they can present as boys.
“Equality Australia’s activities need proper scrutiny and debate, not a leg up from the taxpayer.”
Mr Shelton said it was concerning that EA’s request to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission ruling Equality Australia was rejected only for EA to appeal.
Last year the ACNC said it “refused to register Equality Australia with the PBI subtype because the ACNC considered that the charity had an independent, non-benevolent purpose of engaging in advocacy to agitate for law reform and social change, and this purpose did not amount to benevolent relief to people in need”.
EA appealed to the Administrative Review Tribunal which upheld the ACNC’s finding.
EA then appealed to the Federal Court which also dismissed its application.
Mr Shelton said Treasurer Jim Chalmers and his Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury, Dr Andrew Leigh, should be referred to the National Anti-Corruption Commission.
“After being rejected by the charity regulator and the courts, EA bypassed the law to go straight to its friends in the Government for special treatment,” Mr Shelton said.
If EA is eligible for DGR status, so too should be the Australian Christian Lobby.
After the Albanese Government’s attacks on the freedom of Christian schools to employ staff who share their ethos, Family First is campaigning at the election to uphold parents’ rights.
Media contact: media@familyfirstparty.au