9 December 2011

Manager 
Philanthropy and Exemptions Unit 
The Treasury 
Langton Crescent 
PARKES ACT 2600

By Email:  nfpreform@treasury.gov.au		

SUBMISSION TO “A DEFINITION OF CHARITY, CONSULTATION PAPER (“Consultation”)”
BY THE CENTRE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION

The Centre for Public Education (CPE) is an initiative of the Foundation for Young Australians. 

Our current system of education must embark on a bold transformation to ensure all of our young people have access to a high quality twenty-first century education, regardless of where they live, their gender or cultural background. CPE is committed to a new landscape for learning.

One of CPE’s core priorities is to ensure an equitable, effective and sustainable model for the public funding of schools (both private and public). In the longer term we believe all schools that accept public monies should be considered stakeholders in public education. Schools should receive public funding in proportion to the public benefits they provide, and at a level
consistent with the resourcing required to deliver those benefits to their student population.

CPE makes the following specific comments in relation to the current Consultation: 

1.	It will be seen as a significant step to modernising the definition of charity in Australia in line with public opinion if the following 2 areas are included in the list of charitable purposes. These two areas cause much frustration and lack of understanding within the community when community foundations are unable to provide support to:
·                        amateur sports programs and facilities; and 
·                        government controlled entities such as state schools, hospitals, community halls, public pools, art galleries, museums and libraries etc. 

2.	State schools are also often the hub of a community and in disadvantaged areas can be very much in need of additional support for general upkeep, ground maintenance and development, or for equipment, additional programs, counsellors and tutors, etc. The public consider education is charitable so find it hard to distinguish between non charitable State schools and private non profit schools which are charitable.
 
3.	The complex issues created by the divergence in State and Commonwealth laws and the confusion surrounding entities ‘controlled by government’ could be simplified by (in decreasing order of preference):
(a)                 allowing a government body to be a charity;  or
(b)                 inserting in the proposed list of charitable purposes providing money, property or benefits to government or government bodies which would be charitable but for their connection with government.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Yours sincerely

SIGNED

Jan Owen AM
CEO 
Foundation for Young Australians