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Canberra Today 13°/16° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

UnionsACT: Charity’s million dollar gift is ‘unprecedented’

“DEEPLY concerned” by the ACT government’s gift of $5 million to a corporatised charity, UnionsACT says it’s calling on the government to reverse this “gift” at Saturday’s Labor Party Conference. 

Alex White
UnionsACT secretary Alex White.

Secretary of UnionsACT Alex White says UnionsACT is deeply concerned that the ACT government has gifted an unprecedented $5 million to an unaccountable, unelected private charity – Hands Across Canberra.

“As far as we are aware, the ACT government has never handed over public money to a private charitable fund to dispense grants for social services,” he says. 

“This has clear parallels to the controversy surrounding the Federal Liberal Government’s outrageous grant of $444m to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

“The proposed creation of the Chief Ministers Fund with a $5 million gift of public funds will be of little consolation to the thousand low paid, casualised staff in the community and social services sector.

“We urge ACT Labor and the Government to reverse this decision, and consult with workers and clients in the community sector.”

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Ian Meikle, editor

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