Tax exemptions for religion

Religious institutions receive significant advantages in terms of tax exemptions and benefits. At the same time these institutions are largely unaccountable for their receipt and distribution of funds. The policy of the Secular Party is to end these religious tax exemptions and subsidies. This will benefit the average taxpayer and a level playing field will be provided for all charities.

The Secular Party supports the setting up of a Charities Commission to supervise the appropriate administration of not-for-profit organisations. The Secular Party supports the proposal that a public benefit test be applied as a qualification for the granting of tax exemptions for religious organisations. The Secular Party proposes that the “advancement of religion” is not of itself sufficient to warrant exemptions under the definition of charitable purpose or public benefit.

Resource rent tax

Given the finite nature of global resources, the situation can arise that commodity prices substantially exceed mining production costs. We should be ready for the next commodity cycle. To give all Australians, the collective owners of the country’s mineral wealth, an equitable share in the proceeds of future resource sales, the Secular Party supports a resource rent tax on excessive profits from the mining of non-renewable resources.