Explanatory note

This Supplementary Order Paper amends the Crown Entities Reform Bill by delaying the commencement of Part 3 by 3 years. Part 3 disestablishes the Charities Commission and transfers its functions to the Department of Internal Affairs. Deferring the commencement of Part 3 will ensure that the Charities Commission continues to exist as an autonomous entity for those 3 years. The independence of the Charities Commission was fundamental to the agreement between this sector and the Government when it was established in 2005. It is difficult to see how this could be retained when Part 3 comes into force. The decision to disestablish the Charities Commission was made despite strong contrary advice from organisations that work with the Commission.