Queensland's community organisations are lobbying the Palaszczuk Government for stronger protections, to ensure they can advocate freely and criticise governments when necessary - without the fear of losing funding.

While the Palaszczuk Government removed the 'no advocacy' gag clause imposed on community groups as part of social contracts, community sector organisations want the government to go one step further and protect their freedom to advocate, even if it means criticising the government which funds them.

Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath is considering a request to strengthen the rights of community groups to advocate without fear of losing funding. Credit:Chris Hyde

More than 30 groups, including the Human Rights Law Centre, Community Legal Centres Queensland and Relationships Australia Queensland wrote to Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath asking for provisions to be included in funding agreements "to clarify that organisations receiving government funding are not prevented from entering into public debate or criticising the government", as well as "passing laws to prevent government funding from being used as a lever by which to unreasonably directly or indirectly gag funding recipients".

Director of Community Legal Centres Queensland James Farrell said it was necessary to ensure the sector's clients, which included the most vulnerable within society, were adequately represented.