CLCs hit back at federal minister for questioning their role

This follows recent comments by Madeleine King, Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia, who claimed that CLCs “are not political campaign vehicles – they are there to provide legal services to the community, nothing more”, as reported by The Sydney Morning Herald.

In response to remarks suggesting these organisations exist solely to provide legal services and play no role in advocacy or systemic reform, Community Legal Centres Australia published an open letter firmly pushing back against the minister’s comments.

In the open letter, Tim Leach, CEO of Community Legal Centres Australia, highlighted the critical and multifaceted role these centres have played over many years, not only providing legal support but also advocating for justice reform and removing barriers that prevent vulnerable Australians from accessing the legal system.

“We are more than just lawyers – our sector has a long and proud history of advocating for changes to our legal systems that make them fairer and more accessible for people experiencing poverty and disadvantage,” Leach said.

“Our community lawyers understand that many people’s legal issues are connected to other social and economic problems, so our centres provide wraparound support and employ social workers, financial counsellors, tenant advocates and community development workers.”

While King claimed these organisations exist solely to provide legal services and “nothing more”, Leach countered that for community legal centres, “simply assisting people to resolve their immediate legal problems has never been enough”.

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He also highlighted the sector’s deep and meaningful work, noting that community legal centres across the country assist around 200,000 Australians each year.

The open letter has been endorsed by 10 organisations from across the community legal and civil society sectors, including Community Legal Western Australia, ACOSS, and the Grata Fund.

It has also garnered support from leading figures in the legal and social sectors, including Caitlin Reiger, CEO of the Human Rights Law Centre; Cassandra Goldie, CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service; and Louisa Gibbs, CEO of the Federation of Community Legal Centres.

To demonstrate the breadth of their work, Community Legal Centres Australia has warmly invited Minister Madeleine King to visit the Pilbara Community Legal Centre and witness firsthand how it delivers vital legal services and “so much more” to support local communities.