CharityComms

Compacts cannot be relied upon to ensure an effective relationship between government and the voluntary sector, according to a new report.

The study - Agreeing to Disagree: Maintaining Dissent in the NGO Sector, by think tank the Australia Institute - also concluded that compacts do not "guarantee the legitimacy" of the community sector.

Gemma Edgar, a research fellow at the institute and author of the report, researched existing compacts, including the UK agreement. She concluded that compacts could not be "relied upon to ensure an effective and respectful long-term relationship between government and NGOs - these things will occur only if NGO advocacy is recognised as a legitimate and valuable element of public debate".

The Australian government - led by prime minister Kevin Rudd - is currently consulting with NGOs about the development of a compact by 2009.

Edgar said: "While the Rudd government's desire to build bridges with the community sector should be applauded, any decision to enter into a formal compact needs to be carefully considered by both sides."