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SOCIETY FOR PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY STANDARDS INC.

Greenpeace allowed to reapply for charity status with Department of Internal Affairs

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GREENPEACE is to be allowed to reapply for charity status with the Department of Internal Affairs [DIA has now taken over the role of the Charities Commission which was recently disestablished]

The environmental  lobby group had applied to be a charity in 2008, but the Charities Commission rejected  its application on the grounds that two of its objectives were political,  and not charitable.

The commission had also said that Greenpeace might be involved in  illegal activities, like trespassing, which could not be charitable.

After  an appeal to the High Court, Justice Paul Heath agreed that Greenpeace  should not be registered but made no ruling on any illegal actions. Greenpeace then took the case to the Court of Appeal.

The Court of Appeal today ruled that the object of promoting peace  through nuclear disarmament and the elimination of weapons of mass  destruction was a charitable purpose.

The Court of Appeal concluded  that the public benefit of nuclear disarmament and the elimination of  all weapons of mass destruction is now sufficiently well-accepted in New  Zealand society that the promotion of peace through these means should  be recognised in its own right as a charitable purpose.

During the Court of Appeal hearing Greenpeace indicated it would look at  making changes to its objectives, such as changing its rules to limit  political advocacy to activities that furthered its charitable objects.

Greenpeace’s application is to be sent back to be re-considered with the changes in place.

The Charities Commission has since been disestablished and the group’s  application will now go to the Internal Affairs Department chief  executive and the Charities Registration Board, which still has to decide  whether Greenpeace’s political activities are ancillary to its  charitable purposes.

The court said the board would also have to consider whether under the changed rules Greenpeace was involved in illegal activities or is likely  to be involved them in the future.

Greenpeace executive director Bunny McDiarmid said the group was “delighted the Court of Appeal recognised that promoting peace and nuclear disarmament was for the public benefit”. She said today’s ruling provided more clarity on what it meant to  be a charitable organisation promoting causes such as peace and nuclear  disarmament in the 21st century. “We will always remain non-party political promoting good environmental outcomes supported by nearly 60,000 Kiwis.”

Source: Greenpeace allowed to reapply as charity. Stuff News. 16/11/12

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7960488/Greenpeace-allowed-to-reapply-as-charity

Chris Kahui Should Be Charged For Negligent Parenting says registered charity Family First New Zealand

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Family First New Zealand [a registered charity – CC10094 – with the Charities Commission] believes that Chris Kahui should be charged for ‘negligent parenting’ and is questioning why the police are not willing to pursue a prosecution. Its Media Release issued 21 October 2012 states:

“It is quite clear from the Coroner’s report that the actions, or more correctly, the inaction of Chris Kahui had an adverse effect on the timing of urgent treatment which the babies needed,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “The Coroner’s report says that medical evidence shows the babies could have been saved if taken to hospital earlier.”

“We would argue that the police should be seeking to charge Mr Kahui under s152 crimes act – a parent failing to provide necessaries and protect from injury.”

“There were a number of actions which a reasonable parent would have taken in the circumstances. The family were advising Chris to take the babies to hospital because of their presenting conditions and Chris’s sister was heading there anyway – but he refused. The Coroner found he hid the details of how unresponsive the twins had been and their feeding patterns and wellbeing when their mother returned home.”

“And when the doctor told the parents to urgently take the children to hospital, Mr Kahui deserted his partner and went home and played playstation while his children were fighting for their lives,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“It seems clear that Chris Kahui failed as a caregiver on decisions which were life and death decisions, and he should be held accountable for them.”

152 Duty of parent or guardian to provide necessaries and protect from injury

  • Every one who is a parent, or is a person in place of a parent, who has actual care or charge of a child under the age of 18 years is under a legal duty—
    • (a) to provide that child with necessaries; and
    • (b) to take reasonable steps to protect that child from injury.

    ____________

    • Source: Media Release 21 October 2012
    • http://familyfirst.org.nz/2012/10/chris-kahui-should-be-charged-for-negligent-parenting/

SAFE – Save Animals from Exploitation (a registered charity) demands ban on rodeo “animal abuse industry”

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Save Animals From Exploitation (S.A.F.E.), a registered charity (Reg. No CC40428) with the Charities Commission, is an “animal rights activist”/political advocacy lobby group demanding law changes to safeguard animals from claimed abuse. As part of their “animal advocacy” crusades, SAFE charity workers have used tactics such as flamboyant and high profile publicity stunts, harrassment of business enterprises and their employees and patrons, civil disobedience and civil disruption.

Fairfax Media reports today that SAFE executive director Hans Kriek has described the government’s rodeo code as “complete nonsense” and rodeos as “essentially an animal abuse industry”. SAFE is demanding government legislate for a complete ban on the sport nationwide.

The 2003 Rodeo Code of Welfare, which sets the minimum standards of care and best practice for rodeos, is under review and Kriek has stated:

“We see no point at all in the review of the code. We will make it clear to the Government that it is time to ban rodeos. Every single animal rights organisation is against rodeos.”

However, Canterbury Vets owner Steve Williams and Canterbury SPCS manager Geoff Sutton disputed this claim at the Methven Rodeo yesterday.

Mr Williams, who vetted every animal at the ground yesterday, said organisers went above and beyond the current code of practice. He does not allow animals to compete if they are not up to the task.

Safe Campaign Manager Mandy Carter, stated in a media release dated 19 April 2012:

“Rodeos are merely a cruel display of man’s dominance and abuse of animals. These animals are forced to endure needless suffering and gross mistreatment, all for the sake of so-called entertainment. There is simply no excuse”.

As part of its political advocacy campaign, SAFE is demanding that government establish a Commissioner for Animals, a new office outside the Ministry for Primary Industries, which could independently represent animal welfare.

SAFE, which describes itself as “the leading animal advocacy group”, received $691,268 from public charity (tax-deductible) donations in the financial year ended 31 March 2011. It spent $589,430 – on paying the salaries and wages of nine full-time and five part-time staff charity workers.  Its financial accounts for the year ended 31 March 2012, that were due on 30 September 2012, are overdue and yet to be filed with the Charities Commission.

References:

1. Ban rodeos, activist says. By Charlie Mann. 22 October 2012.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/7845946/Ban-rodeos-activist-says

2. Charities Commission website. www.charities.govt.nz

3. SAFE Media Release 19 April 2012.

Animal Advocacy Group Angered at Rodeo Inaction

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1204/S00441/animal-advocacy-group-angered-at-rodeo-inaction.htm

4. SAFE Media Release 21 August 2012

Government urged to make high animal welfare standards a reality

http://www.safe.org.nz/images.php?oid=16798

5.  SAFE (Save Animals From Exploitation) – a registered charity & its “political advocacy”

https://www.spcs.org.nz/wp-admin/post.php?post=4078&action=edit

6. https://www.spcs.org.nz/wp-admin/post.php?post=3446&action=edit

7. https://www.spcs.org.nz/wp-admin/post.php?post=3497&action=edit

White collar crime: Heavy sentences imposed on offenders convicted of premeditated fraud

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The offending of Jacqui Bradley, the former financial adviser jailed today for seven years and five months on fraud charges, was premeditated and left many elderly investors financially and emotionally ruined, the Auckland District Court heard.

[This fraud case has some similarities to the 2009 conviction of Michael Swann who was given a 9.5 year jail sentence relating to a huge fraud against the Otago District Health Board. See https://www.spcs.org.nz/tag/michael-swann/ ].

A jury last month found Bradley, aged 61, guilty of 75 charges of fraud after a five-week trial. Bradley ran the failed finance company B’On Financial Services with her late husband Mike until it collapsed in December 2009 owing 28 investors $15.5 million.

Judge Christopher Field, in sentencing today, said the extent of loss, harm and damage was “very significant indeed”…..

It’s the third prosecution involving an affinity fraud by financial advisers that the SFO has completed in the past three months with offending across all three cases totalling almost $21m.

In other recent white collar crime cases those found guilty received a range of sentences in line with that handed out to Jacqui Bradley today.

Former Capital + Merchant directors Wayne Douglas and Neal Nicholls were give 7 and a half years jail in July on various fraud counts involving about $28m of transactions after Justice Edwin Wylie said they were motivate by greed and self-interest. DataSouth director Gavin Bennett got 8 years jail in May for defrauding South Canterbury Finance while Bridgecorp director Rod Petricevic got almost 7 years in April for misleading investors and spending company money on a luxury yacht.

Former ASB bank employee Stephen Velsalko got six years jail time in a 2010 case involving $17m stolen from his employer while in 2009 Michael Swann was given 9.5 years relating to a huge fraud against the Otago District Health Board.

For more see: Bradley offending premeditated. Story by Nick Kraus

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/7837957/Bradley-offending-premeditated

Further reading:

See: https://www.spcs.org.nz/2010/michael-swann-checketts-mckay-fraud-and-otago-dhbs-missing-6-million-report/

https://www.spcs.org.nz/2010/michael-swann-computer-south-ltd-and-checketts-mckay-law/

Family First NZ Campaign targets MPs’ votes on same-sex marriage bill – Rotorua Daily Post

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Rotorua Daily Post 17 Oct 2012
Brochures asking people to urge MPs to vote against a same-sex marriage bill have been distributed in Rotorua with at least one local church making them available to parishioners.

Family First New Zealand [a registered charity] has published and distributed 70,000 brochures throughout the country encouraging people to voice their concerns about legalising same-sex marriage.

The brochures are part of its national campaign – Protect Marriage – which encourages people to write to the Parliament’s select committee with their concerns and sign a petition against an amendment to the 1995 Marriage Act that would allow same-sex couples to marry.

The brochures call for people to share their personal stories and views of marriage with the select committee before MPs vote on the second reading of the Marriage Amendment Bill early next year.

Family First national director Bob McCoskrie said it had already gained more than 55,000 signatures in the online component of the campaign and was aiming to get 100,000 by October 26 to present to Parliament ahead of the second reading.

Mr McCoskrie said he believed, based on the signatures they had collected and a Research NZ poll last month, public support for same-sex marriage was dropping.

“Only 49 per cent of the 500 respondents to the poll said they were in favour of same-sex couples being allowed to marry. This was down from 60 per cent in the same July 2011 poll by the company,” he said.

Mr McCoskrie said support had dropped because people were beginning to understand what the changes would mean for marriage and what was currently available to same-sex couples.

“A hundred and fifty pieces of legislation were changed in 2004 to recognise same-sex relationships under the Civil Union Act so there is no need to redefine marriage to achieve equality. The state which did not invent marriage has no authority to re-invent it,” he said. “People are also thinking more deeply about the issue rather than just listening to sound bites. Gays and lesbians have a right to form meaningful relationships they just do not have a right to redefine marriage. It is perfectly possible to support traditional marriage, while also recognising and respecting the rights of others.”
http://www.rotoruadailypost.co.nz/news/campaign-targets-mps-votes/1585763/