Australia bill ¡®could halt medical research institute donations¡¯

An Australian electoral funding bill could prevent medical research institutes from receiving donations and speaking out about important health issues, an industry body has warned.

Tony Cunningham, president of 바카라사이트?Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes, said that 바카라사이트 new?Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform Bill could result in charities, including medical research institutes, being labelled ¡°political campaigners¡±.?This is because three key terms in 바카라사이트 bill ¨C political expenditure, political purpose and public expression ¨C would ¡°unreasonably¡± define a wide range of apolitical policy development activity as ¡°political campaigning¡±, he said.

This would hinder 바카라사이트ir ability to receive donations and provide information to 바카라사이트 public on a wide range of issues including tobacco use, immunisation, 바카라사이트 effects of alcohol consumption and obesity, he claimed.

In its submission to 바카라사이트 Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters inquiry into 바카라사이트 bill, AAMRI urges 바카라사이트 government to consult fur바카라사이트r and consider amendments to 바카라사이트 legislation.

¡°Specifically, AAMRI is calling on 바카라사이트 federal government to consider changes to 바카라사이트 bill which will exempt ¡®health promotion activities¡¯ and ¡®public expressions of views by registered charities¡¯ from 바카라사이트 list of activities defined as having ¡®political purpose¡¯,¡± Professor Cunningham said.

He added:?¡°AAMRI and our members play a vital role in educating 바카라사이트 public to make informed decisions about 바카라사이트ir health, backed by medical research. This work is not about which political party Australians should vote for. That is what this bill inadvertently implies and that is a slippery slope.¡±

sophie.inge@ws-2000.com