The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission has been asked to investigate the Australian Christian Lobby over its role in helping Israel Folau raise more than a million dollars for his legal fight against Rugby Australia (RA).
Folau raked in more than $1.5 million in donations on Tuesday through a relaunched ACL fundraising platform, despite having a GoFundMe page banned on Monday due to a breach of the website’s terms and conditions.
It was also revealed on Tuesday that Australia’s largest crowdfunding platform, MyCause, also knocked back an initial request from Folau’s camp to relaunch his fighting fund.
The renewed support for Folau comes as Gillian Triggs, the former Australian Human Rights Commission president, said she believed it was important to protect the rugby union star's right to freedom of speech.
"I don't think employers should have that power [to sack someone] and I don't think that one should lose one’s job for putting a view in good faith that you have put, particularly as a reflection that could be a religious view," said Ms Triggs on ABC News.
“It is a very wide view. It encompasses a lot of us - we're all going to go to hell. I think it is really foolish and disproportionate to prevent him from preaching something that I think he probably believes quite deeply as a matter of religious expression."
A number of complainants, however, have confirmed to the Herald that they have raised their concerns with the charities commission over the fundraising role played by the ACL.
In a statement, the commission said it "expected all registered charities to meet their obligations under the ACNC Act and the Governance Standards".
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