Bid to have GetUp charity link probed

Link to not-for-profit company investigated as Assistant Minister calls on GetUp to “come clean’’.

Greens acting state director Michael Poland.

The Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission has been asked to investigate links between GetUp and a not-for-profit company it helped establish as new ties emerged showing former charity officials had worked with the left-wing activist group, the Greens and Labor.

Following a report in The Australian on Commons Library Limited and its links with GetUp, Assistant Minister for Finance, Charities and Electoral matters Zed Seselja on Tuesday wrote to ACNC Commissioner Gary Johns asking him to formally examine the groups.

Michael Poland, who was “head librarian” and company secretary of the Commons ­Library for three years, is now acting state director of the Victorian Greens, after previously heading campaigns for them.

The 26-year-old, who was a GetUp campaigner before joining the “public library”, rejoined GetUp as a “senior organiser” during the marriage equality ­debate in 2017, at the same time as he was listed as company ­secretary of Commons Library Limited.

Former charity director Lily Spencer, who acted in the role between 2015 and 2018, previously worked with the Australian Labor Party “spearheading a new ­approach to party communication and engagement”.

Ms Spencer now works with the Australia reMADE Alliance, which was partly funded by GetUp. GetUp national director Paul Oosting sits on the secretariat of the alliance.

The Australian on Monday revealed Mr Oosting and senior GetUp officials launched the education charity in 2014 as GetUp Commons Limited, and confirmed that charity staff had worked out of GetUp offices.

In his letter to Mr Johns, Senator Seselja asked him to “examine” links between Commons Library and GetUp.

“It’s important that organisations with charitable status are complying with their obligations and fulfilling their charitable purpose, and not being used as de facto political campaigners,” Senator Seslja wrote.

“I would request you examine whether Commons Library has complied with all their obli­gations under Australian charity law, including in their relationship with GetUp.”

A GetUp spokeswoman told The Australian Mr Poland was “involved with us” on the “highly successful Get-Out-The-Vote campaign for marriage equality” and “that was the full extent of his involvement”.

“GetUp members and staff are driven by a commitment to progressive change — not party politics. The marriage equality campaign is a great example of issue-based campaigning done well,” the spokeswoman said.

A Commons Library spokeswoman said the charity was “an independent organisation”.

“Involvement in more than one organisation at a time is common to active engaged people across the full political spectrum. Any other work undertaken by Mr Poland either paid or unpaid in any capacity did not impact on the performance of his duties with the Commons Library. We consider there was no conflict of interest,” the spokeswoman said.

Speaking to Ray Hadley on radio on Tuesday, Senator Seselja said “on the face of it, this is pretty concerning”.

He also flagged he would pursue links between Avaaz.org, which donated more than $268,000 to GetUp, and Avaaz founding board member Benjamin Brandzel, who sits on the Commons Limited board.

“I don’t know much about them other than what’s reported, and this is something I’ll seek to get more information on. There’s obviously the links with this Benjamin Brandzel and they made a number of donations. So they’re obviously a supporter of GetUp in one form or another but I just don’t have any more detailed information on them,” he told 2GB.

Senator Seselja said GetUp “talks about transparency” and it was “really important they come clean on the extent of these links”.

In a speech on Saturday, Scott Morrison flagged the government would pursue GetUp, ­attacking the activist group’s claims of political independence.