The Wire

The National Association of Community Legal Centres has denied claims by the Federal Attorney General, Philip Ruddock, that its members have engaged in political campaigns, using tax payers funds. In a recent article published in the Liberal Party publication The Party Room, Mr Ruddock claimed that the community legal funding model needed to be reformed. This was because the legal centers were devoting quote “valuable resources to running political campaigns and the promotion of ideological causes, rather than providing legal advice and assistances to Australians in need”. He said as a result the Federal Government intended to adopt a model for assessing the adequacy of funding for centers, based on outcomes delivered to clients” But the head of the National Association of Community Legal Centres, Julie Bishop has denied her group’s centers are running political campaigns. She has also expressed concerns at claims by the Federal Attorney General that state governments are paying their fair share.