Welfare Rights Centre spokesman Michael Raper says many NGOs who advocate on behalf of the poor or disadvantaged fear that the Government will remove their tax-exempt status or stop funding them.
For the Government to curb their funding, cut their funding in some cases, take away their tax status if theyre speaking out too much is undermining our democracy and is the flaw that Im trying to point out, he said.
He has told the conference at the University of New South Wales that the Government has a responsibility to fund the advocacy roles of NGOs because they are a vital part of democracy.
A number of organisations have self-censored, they no longer speak out, he said.
They think that they dont want to put their funding at risk.
Theyd rather keep a little bit of their funding and do some of the work at least.
Source: Govt silencing NGOs on social justice issues - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)