Reason Party MLC Fiona Patten continues to target her attack on faith-based organisations who provide extensive charitable services to local communities if she proceeds with the 2nd reading of her Charities Amendment Bill tomorrow, warns the Australian Christian Lobby.
“Many Victorians would be questioning why Ms Patten and her party – formerly the Australian Sex Party – is so uncharitable toward Christian churches and charities,” ACL Victorian director, Dan Flynn said.
“In her crusade to remove ‘advancing religion’ as a charitable purpose from the Charities Act, Ms Patten seeks to force struggling congregations to pay massive land and payroll taxes, dramatically reducing the services they can provide to the underprivileged.
“Why is Ms Patten trying to block the fountain that so much charity springs from? “The promotion of religion is the promotion of doing good to others, helping the poor, building hospitals and schools.
Mr Flynn warned that the radical bill will reduce much needed charity in Victoria that is delivered by faith communities.
“I trust the Government and opposition will see through this extreme bill, being only too aware that much of the heavy lifting of community building comes from Victorian churches, thereby taking a huge burden off government departments and agencies,” Mr Flynn said.
“A vote for Patten’s Bill is a vote for a weaker community and higher taxes.“
“It remains very unclear why Fiona Patten wants to penalise faith organisations from providing public charity.“
Mr Flynn said it was important for community groups to speak out against this bill prior to it being debated in the coming weeks.
