When federal parliament resumes next month, the senate will vote on controversial new regulations governing charities. One leading Liberal senator, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, has expressed her fear that the rule could curb freedom of speech.

The proposed rule would potentially deregister a charity if its activists engaged, for example, in trespass or other unlawful acts.

There are hundreds of faith-based charities in Australia, especially in poverty relief and foreign aid, so what could be their fate?

Krystian Seibert is an expert at Swinburne University in Melbourne.