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Argument for doing a submission & relevant info (thread title change, June 9th)

Axiom142

Gold Meritorious Patron
OK, I’ve got confirmation from Mr Hawkins that they’ve received my submission. Like the other non-Aussies, mine will not be officially included but made available to the committee.

With great effort, I tried to keep mine from becoming overly verbose and simply said that any organisation (note the correct spelling :coolwink: ) should be required to demonstrate that it is in fact, existing for the public benefit, before it is given charitable and tax-exempt status.

And I also gave them lots of reasons why I think the CoS doesn’t deserve this, along with some real-life examples of the abuses committed by this cult.

Hopefully this will be enough to forestall the wrath of the formidable Mrs Underwood and reduce the chances of my getting a public bum-spanking. :ohmy:

Axiom142
 

Carmel

Crusader
<snip>

Hopefully this will be enough to forestall the wrath of the formidable Mrs Underwood and reduce the chances of my getting a public bum-spanking. :ohmy:

Axiom142
Maybe! :coolwink:

Good on you, and *all* who have done submissions!:thumbsup:

Today's the last chance to get them in, so here's a few more getting sent. :)
 

anonyvix

Patron
I have put together some thoughts about non-scientology reasons for this bill/ Please feel free to use any of these points, maybe they'll prompt some more of your own?

• By granting tax-exempt status to an organisation, the Australian Government is in fact endorsing and supporting this organisation financially, morally and publicly. Therefore, tax-exempt status needs to be given only to those organisations fully aligned to the values, priorities and benefit of Australia and its people.

• As Australia moves into the oncoming decades of an aging population, a heavier than ever before welfare bill, and a shrinking proportion of tax payers, we must take a tougher stand on entities attempting to escape their communal responsibilities, including those who seek tax exemption on the claim that they are already contributing all that they can to the community.

• When we do grant tax exemption we are stating that we trust that organisation to make choices about where the money they collect is spent. In fact we are saying that these organisations will make better choices than our elected government. And, while money spent by the government is tracked and can be reviewed and scrutinized, money spent by these tax exempt organisations not only can be used in ways that the Australian people would not condone, but there is no way for us to know about it.

• It is clear that some currently tax exempt organisations are an indispensable sector of our community. They directly and immediately disburse on-the-ground charity to house, feed, clothe and support the disadvantaged in a way that is efficient, laudable and a necessary compliment to our government welfare system. They provide affordable sports activities for children or inclusion activities for the disadvantaged that would not be able to be provided on a fee for service basis and rely on volunteers to administer them. But not all currently tax-exempt organisations fill a community need, not all are efficient or provide services that the majority of Australians would knowingly support. Blown out administration costs are merely one example of this that the Australian public is aware of and of which we do not approve or wish to support.

• In today’s financial climate we cannot afford to confer tax exempt status without confirming that the organisation is capable of and does provide a needed service with efficiency, compatibility and quality in a way that compliments our existing welfare system. For example I don’t want to grant tax exemption to an organisation that provides people with spiritual services while the country is struggling to find an extra $30 a week for our aged pensioners or to provide houses for people in need. Or even an organisation that provides food vouchers to the hungry and pays its executives’ overblown salaries.


• Self-assessment for tax exemption is a luxury we cannot afford and an open invitation to the unscrupulous to avoid paying for the roads, public services, and the community in which they live and make their income. A PBT will eliminate those who are unscrupulous and confirm those who are actually supporting the community in ways that we value and with standards that are appropriate.

• Thus far it has been sufficient for an organisation to claim it is a religion in order to gain tax exempt status. In alignment with not discriminating against anyone for matters of religious belief, it would be preferable if our government did not favor any groups because of their beliefs either. A Public Benefits Test needs to determine eligibility based on providing benefit we can see and assess, not on benefits at a spiritual level, after this life or according to a religious authority.

This is very good. Hat off to you.
 
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