By Casey Neill
An “attack on religion” that attracted opposition from Greater Dandenong Councillors has been deemed unconstitutional.
Last December, The Reason Party Leader Fiona Patten proposed to amend the Charities Act to exclude the advancement of religion as a charitable purpose.
In February, Councillor Tim Dark successfully suggested urgently writing to all state MPs “strongly opposing any changes” to the act.
On Wednesday 28 March, Legislative Council President Bruce Atkinson said the proposal “infringed the provisions of section 62 of the Constitution Act 1975, and therefore ordered that the bill be withdrawn”.
Section 62 deals with taxation.
Cr Dark shared the update with the Monday 9 April council meeting and said “hopefully we’ll now see the end of that”.
Back in February, he said the amendment would hit charities with taxes and force them to cut back on their services.
“The council will then have to fill the gaps,” he said.
