Clamping Down, Down Under

The Australian government is using a report by the right-wing think tank Institute for Public Affairs to determine "the most effective ways to ensure that the transparency of the growing engagement between Government and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) is maintained." The report, titled "Managing Relations with Non-Government Organisations," maintains that NGOs enjoy "privileged positions which are not accorded to other members of the community." It suggests that "information [be] made public about both the relationship itself, and about the NGO with which the Department has a relationship." Report co-author Gary Johns wrote in an opinion piece, "If the far more complex matter of corporate performance can be presented in simple terms, the same can be achieved for charitable NGOs."