Family First has questioned the irony of Governor-General Sam Mostyn publicly championing charity work focused on women while serving as patron of Equality Australia — an organisation that advocates for gender ideology which undermines the rights and protections of biological women and girls.
In an interview with The Australian, Ms Mostyn lamented “vile” social media commentary directed at her when she promotes philanthropic causes, particularly those centred on women.
Family First National Director and NSW Legislative Council candidate Lyle Shelton said Australians are entitled to respectfully question the contradiction between promoting women’s advancement while backing an organisation that argues a woman can be biologically male and that men who identify as women should have access to girls’ and women’s-only spaces and compete in girls’ women’s sport.
“You cannot claim to champion women while supporting an organisation that erases the very definition of what a woman is,” Mr Shelton said.
“Equality Australia has been a vocal advocate for so-called ‘gender affirming care’, including access to puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors, and for laws that remove sex-based protections in favour of self-identification.”
Mr Shelton also noted that Equality Australia’s bid for tax-deductible Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status was rejected by regulators and upheld through tribunal and court processes, only for the Albanese Government to introduce special legislation to grant it that status regardless.
“That is not how an independent charities system is meant to operate,” Mr Shelton said.
“When regulators and courts say no, but political allies step in to change the law for their friends, Australians are right to ask serious questions.”
Family First has lodged a detailed submission to the Senate Economics Legislation Committee opposing the proposed DGR status for Equality Australia. The submission is publicly available on the Senate’s website.
“Tax-deductible status is a public subsidy. Australians should not be forced to underwrite activism that diminishes women’s hard-won rights,” Mr Shelton said.
Family First is calling for transparency, integrity in the charities system, and the protection of women’s sex-based rights in law and public policy.
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