Treasury Laws Amendment (Supporting Choice in Superannuation and Other Measures) Bill 2025

Senator ROBERTS (Queensland) (10:57): I have some questions, as I implied before. We're generally supportive, One Nation, of these superannuation modifications, except for what we see as dishonest provisions. In February's Senate estimates hearings I asked the office of the Governor-General about Equality Australia, because Australia's Governor-General is supposed to be neutral—to not take political positions.

This leads to many questions of the government. Firstly, Minister, how is it that the Governor-General can be a patron of a political activist group, Equality Australia, that actively supports irreversible gender treatments for children—mutilation of children? This is not about people's support for Equality Australia, because that's what is essentially happening by giving it DGR—deductible gift recipient—status.

This is about the law and Equality Australia's DGR status. My questions include: Why did assistant charities minister Mr Andrew Leigh intervene to give Equality Australia charity status when on three occasions the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and two Federal Court hearings had held that Equality Australia was not established for a benevolent purpose and should not be entitled to deductible gift recipient status?

Deductible gift recipient status allows donors to claim tax deductions for donations. Why did the Labor government give Equality Australia a massive favour against the findings of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and the Federal Court's full bench, on two occasions? Was it because the Governor-General is a patron of the activist group Equality Australia?

Isn't this a clear conflict of interest and a breach of the requirements of neutrality by the Governor-General? The TEMPORARY CHAIR ( Senator Kovacic ): Senator Ghosh. Senator Ghosh: I hesitate to interrupt my colleague, but I think it's a contravention of the standing orders to cast aspersions on the motives of, or reflect disrespectfully on, the Governor-General of Australia.

The TEMPORARY CHAIR: Noted, thank you. Please withdraw, Senator Roberts, and refrain moving forward. Senator ROBERTS: I withdraw.

The TEMPORARY CHAIR: Thank you. Senator ROBERTS: Observing the government's blatant contradiction of the law in giving DGR status—deductible gift recipient status—to Equality Australia in defiance of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and two Federal Court hearings, I ask: Does the law mean nothing to this government? Is the lobby group Equality Australia, when it attacks Christian schools, acting in any way on behalf of the government?

Is the lobby group acting on behalf of the government in any way when it supports children's futile attempts to change sex? Essentially, what you're doing, Minister, by giving Equality Australia deductible gift recipient status is asking taxpayers to subsidise the mutilation of children. Why are you going against the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and Federal Court rulings?

We want to protect superannuants—adults—but not at the sacrifice of children.