Former US Congress Highflyer to Advise Govt on Aussie NFPs

A former adviser to the US Congress and right wing commentator Ted Lapkin has been hired as a special advisor on the Not for Profit sector by the Abbott Government.

Ted Lapkin.

The Federal Coalition’s Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews hired US-born Lapkin to assist with the Government’s plans for the sector including the abolition of the charity regulator, the ACNC.

Lapkin has previously worked as a ministerial advisor to the Federal Coalition and was previously a communications director to a senior member of the Republican leadership in the US Congress.

Lapkin is also a former research fellow of the Institute of Public Affairs in Australia.

Lapkin is known as a prolific commentator on politics and public affairs whose work has appeared on the opinion pages of leading newspapers in both Australia and the United States, according to Opinion Online.

Lapkin was communications director for senior member of the Republican leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives Congressman Rick Lazio, who ran against Hillary Clinton in the highly publicised US Senate race in 2000.

He married an Australian, and moved to Melbourne in 2002, the website said.

He took up his position in Federal Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews’ office in January.

Yesterday Minister Andrews announced that an evaluation model based on the US-based Charity Navigator, could replace Australia’s charity regulator, in a speech to Not for Profit directors.

The controversial US evaluation organisation, Charity Navigator, posts charity evaluations and compiles charity lists on topics such as Highly Paid CEOs at Low-Rated Charities and Inefficient Fundraisers, and was named by Andrews as an option to replace the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission at an Australian Institute of Company Directors Lunch in Melbourne.