📣 Petition Update — March 2026
Thank you again to everyone who has signed and shared our petition End Australian Taxpayer Support for Scientology’s Foreign Operations.
Where Things Stand (2026)
Despite continued evidence of gaps in transparency and public accountability, the Church of Scientology’s Australian charity — the Church of Scientology Religious Education College Incorporated (COSRECI) — still retains registered charity status and associated tax-exempt privileges in Australia.
This entity was exposed in the past for failing to file key financial returns for decades, and regulators confirmed they had the power to investigate — but no public outcome was ever released.
In 2021, federal MPs again called for a full regulatory review after reporting showed tens of millions were moving through related organisations — yet the status quo remains unchanged.
Important Regulatory Change That Affects Public Oversight
In late 2025 and early 2026, new laws came into effect that may help increase transparency around regulatory investigations by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).
Under these changes:
The ACNC can now publicly disclose that it is investigating a registered charity when certain legal tests are met — specifically if public confidence and trust are at stake.
Previously, the regulator generally could not publicly acknowledge when it was reviewing a charity unless consent was given.
This does not change the threshold for launching an investigation — it only affects what the ACNC can tell the public once an investigation exists.
This reform has already been used in the case of another organisation (the Shincheonji Church), where the ACNC confirmed an active investigation due to credible concerns raised publicly.
Why This Matters for Our Petition
Our petition calls on the ACNC to:
✔ Conduct a full, transparent investigation of COSRECI’s financial history
✔ Consider appropriate penalties for past non-compliance
✔ Deregister the charity if it is not delivering genuine public benefit
With the new ACNC transparency laws, an investigation — if initiated — could be publicly acknowledged, which is something that was not possible before. This is an important shift for public accountability.
But Regulatory Power Isn’t the Same as Action
It is still up to the ACNC to determine whether credible evidence of non-compliance exists and whether to open a formal investigation. Greater transparency once an investigation exists does not itself trigger action.
That’s why our petition — which highlights documented concerns about transparency, financial flows, and public benefit — continues to be relevant and necessary.
Your Support Still Matters
If you haven’t already, please:
👉 Sign and share the petition
👉 Share this update with networks concerned about charity law integrity
👉 Encourage media or interest groups to ask regulators why known loopholes remain unaddressed
Together, we can push for a system where charity status genuinely reflects benefit to Australians, not just financial advantage for overseas operations.
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