Australian charities are well regulated, but changes are needed to cut red tape

Charities exist to benefit the public and do vital work across Australia. They therefore receive support from both governments and the community. This leads to an expectation that they will be subject to some form of regulation to ensure they are transparent and accountable, and operating for charitable purposes. Because of the high regard the community has for charities, there is often widespread anger when charities do the wrong thing. Effective regulation is therefore needed to preserve and enhance the community’s trust and confidence in charities. Ireland is a good example of what happens when effective charity regulation is lacking. A scandal in 2014, which involved a major disability charity using donations to pay senior staff exorbitant salaries, prompted the fast-tracked establishment of an Irish charities regulator.