PILLARS Inc, a registered charity with the Charities Commission has recently published a manual for organisations working with children of prisoners. “The charity (No. CC 23953), registered on 6 May 2006, has just completed “ground-breaking in-depth research on ‘A Study of Children of Prisoners’ in New Zealand. The research [which took more than two years to complete], looked at the impacts of arrest, sentence, and imprisonment of a parent on the children. A core goal of the project was to understand the situation and needs of the children of prisoners, so that the cycle of crime for the next generation can be stopped, and to bring down prisoner numbers by reduction in crime.” (Challenge Weekly, 3 October 2011, p. 3). [Read more…]
Media Matters in NZ to fight BSA ruling
Media Matters in New Zealand Inc., a registered charity with the Charities Commission, has engaged Tony Ellis QC, one of our country’s most respected Civil Rights lawyers, to fight the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) recent decision to penalise Donald McDonald for his use of the BSA complaint system. Tax-payer funded lawyers acting for the BSA and TVNZ will engage with Tony Ellis QC in the High Court of New Zealand and Media Matters is seeking funding support for its legal action from its members.
Registered as a charity on 30 June 2008 (CC42477), Media Matters in New Zealand Inc (Incorporating Children’s Media Watch) exists among other things to warn and alert New Zealanders to the “dangers” posed by the media, “especially its threat to the well-being of the young and vulnerable in our society”. It encourages its members to use the BSA complaints system where there has been a perceived breach by the broadcaster of the Broadcasting Standards (as set out clearly in legislation – see the BSA website). The Society for Promotion of Community Standards Inc. also encourages its members to do likewise and it fully endorses the objectives of this charity.
John Terris, National President Media Matters, in his recent notification to members of the organisation’s forthcoming AGM on 9 November 2011, wrote:
“One of the few avenues available to us is the complaints system, administered by the Broadcasting Standards Authority, which, has become so permissive that it is now turning on the very people it was set up 20 years ago to serve. (See BSA.govt.nz Decision No. 20120)
“In an unprecidented move, the BSA actually fined one of our members, Donald McDonald of Wellington, just because, in their view, he complains too much. And why would he not, given the disregard for accuracy which characterizes our television news.
“Simply put, they want to stop him from complaining (as he does on a regular basis) so they can ignore the serious negative effects of TV on the young, reflected in things like the rising rate of youth crime, the misuse of drugs and alcohol, and the climate of greed and envy and all other ills in our society which televisions feeds and nurtures.”
[The BSA has chosen to target Don McDonald] “a pensioner of limited means who is a member of the Royal Society of NZ and a respected scientist, while art the same time. they penalise our television channels with a slap on the wrist with a wet bus ticket when they err instead of imposing a hefty fine for their shameless exploitation of our kids.”
Source: Media Matters in NZ Newsletter/AGM Advert – written by President John Terris.
Why did EnergySmart Ltd – a registered charity – go bust?
Hutt Mana Charitable Trust [a registered charity with the Charities Commission] could end up losing $2.5 million over the liquidation of EnergySmart [Ltd] and the sale of its [Lower Hutt] Railway Ave building.
A preliminary creditors’ report by liquidators Shephard Dunphy records an estimated shortfall of assets over liabilities of $1.63 million.
The creditors’ list runs to more than three pages.
Questions are being asked why a company with 11 per cent of the insulation and energy efficiency retro-fitting market under the Government’s Warm Up NZ subsidy scheme, and with tax-free charitable status, went bust.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/hutt-news/5763872/Why-did-EnergySmart-go-bust Hutt News 11 October 2011 [Read more…]
Why did a Hutt Mana Charitable Trust-owned company go bust?
Investment Proves far from smart – Hutt News – 11 October 2011
EDITOR’S VIEW: Local people deserve answers on why a Hutt Mana Charitable Trust-owned company with a good market share and tax advantage went bust.
According to liquidators, EnergySmart’s assets won’t cover an estimated $1.63 million in liabilities.
There’s a three-page list of creditors, and likely to be the end of that line is the trust, which chairman Ian Hutchings admits might have to wave goodbye to the thick end of $2m.
ttp://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/hutt-news/5763871/Investment-proves-far-from-smart [Read more…]
Three Energy Smart companies – all registered charities – in liquidation
A major player in the Government’s home insulation scheme has been put into liquidation by the directors of the Hutt Mana Charitable Trust – a registered charity with the Charities Commission, leaving a trail of more than $1.6 million in outstanding bills.
Three limited liability companies that are charities registered with the Charities Commission, were put into liquidation on 19 September 2011: EnergySmart Ltd, EnergySmart Distributors Ltd and EnergySmart Retrofitting Ltd. They are service providers involved in the supply of subsidised home insulation and heating and because they are registered with the EECA (Energy Efficienct Conservation Authority), they can access sizeable government subsidies.
EnergySmart Ltd, a Wellington-based company, recorded a $13.648 M gross income in the last financial year (ending 31/12/10) and of this, $2.715 M was spent on salaries and related expenses. Its recorded total liability for the financial year ending 31 December 2010, as recorded on the Charities Commission website, was $4,631,147. A net deficit of $821,018 was recorded for income over expenditure.
The Liquidators have estimated that once all the value of all Energy Smart’s assets have been realised, it will still have a shortfall of at least $1,634,335 – money owed to its creditors (largely suppliers of insulation product). However, this is clearly a very conservative estimate of its total debt and does not take account of any debt claims by unsecured creditors. [Read more…]