Opposition Leader Bill Shorten wants reference to charities removed from the Turnbull government's legislation to crack down on foreign political donations, saying the sector shouldn't be silenced.
The bill requires charities whose "political expenditure" in past the four years has exceeded $100,000 to be registered as a political campaigner, which the sector believes will bind them in red tape and temper democratic debate.
"I believe we can clean up donations without silencing our charities," Mr Shorten told AAP on Sunday.
He said Labor would continue to work with the government to reform political donations and ban foreign donations, an issue his party has led the way on.
"Labor is not interested in laws which punish Australian charities."
