By ANEEKA SIMONIS
AN ANTI-HUNTING activist helping drive the Jason Wood’s campaign to end importation of lion trophies refuses to back down despite recent threats to have her charity status stripped.
In Parliament last week, Shooters and Fishers Party Member Hon. Robert Borsak accused For the Love of Wildlife charity founder Donalea Patman of carrying out a “vendetta” against him and his party, announcing plans to strip the “sham” charity of its status.
“Sham charities such as For the Love of Wildlife are a blight on society and undermine the wonderful work done by genuine and legitimate charities.
These sham charities are parasites and need to be weeded out and removed from the charities register. I will do my best to ensure that that happens,” he said in NSW Parliament on Wednesday 24 June.
Ms Patman, who has worked to get major international air carriers to ban the importation of lion trophies into the country, laughed off the threat – describing it as an “appalling” display of bullying by Hon. Borsak using parliamentary privilege to allege fraud and false representation against her.
“These are desperate measures by a desperate group,” she said.
“They are starting to feel the pressure because this could well spell the end of their practice.”
For the Love of Wildlife registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC) in July last year.
Ms Patman said threats made by the Shooters and Fishers Party indicated the charity was on the right track to relieving African wildlife, particularly lions, under siege by hunters.
“We are less than 12 months old but we have been very effective and that’s obviously been noted by party,” she said.
Hon. Borsak criticised the Australian charities regulator for registering the anti-hunting charity.
“The unconscionable conduct of For the Love of Wildlife and other sham charities could be avoided if there was closer co-operation between the Australian Taxation Office.”
The Gazette contacted the ACNC which could not reveal details about any formal complaints made against the charity or investigations underway, but confirmed it was still registered.
