SPCS

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY STANDARDS INC.

Child Poverty Action Group Inc and its political advocacy

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The Child Poverty Action Group Inc. (CPAG) was registered as a charity with the Charities Commission  on 5 June 2008 (Reg. No. CC25387). According to Wikipedia on-line, it “is a New Zealand political advocacy group for the abolition of poverty and social exclusion…. CPAG describes itself as ‘an independent charity working to eliminate child poverty in New Zealand through research, advocacy and education’. CPAG speaks out on behalf of tens of thousands of New Zealand’s poorest children…”

Records from the Charities Commission website show that CPAG had a gross income of $132,361 for the financial year ended 31 March 2011, and of that, $62,638 was spent on wages for one full-time employee and two other part-timers: involved in administration and research (47% of total income). In addition $1,033 of CPAG income was spent specifically on office administration and $486 to cover employees’ ACC Levies. 58 hours per week (average) in total of paid work, was funded by CPAG. In 2010/11 it received $105,000 in non-government grants and sponsorship, $16,757 in donations, and $2,660 in membership fees. (se www.charities.govt.nz).

CPAG – Aotearoa New Zealand has a clear focus on political advocacy, involving the promotion of “better policies [laws] for children and young persons – illustrated by the following activities…. [Read more…]

Is The Definition Of Charitable Purpose Relevant To NZ? – Scoop News

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Press Release: Hayes Knight NZ  Scoop News 26 April 2012

Is The Definition Of Charitable Purpose Relevant To New Zealand Society In 2012?

The Charities Commission hosted a forum to specifically explore the appropriateness of the existing definition of “charitable purpose” in New Zealand. This two day event was held in Wellington on 17 and 18 April 2012. Those selected to attend represented a cross section of people involved in the sector; all leaders in their respective areas.

Hayes Knight Audit Director Craig Fisher was invited to the forum as a panel presenter.

Below is an extract from the paper he presented.

For Full Paper see: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1204/S00806/is-the-definition-of-charitable-purpose-relevant-to-nz.htm

The issue of advocacy

This has been the source of much contentious, and sometimes what appears to be sensational and erroneous, media regarding decisions of the Charities Commission arising from the legal cases taken.

Political advocacy as a primary purpose is not currently considered charitable. This is especially the case when it comes to political parties which are not and should not be considered charitable. This is sound logic. [Read more…]

“Real moral jihad” & SAFE charitable “advocacy” for piggies and poultry

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A good number of charites registered with the Charities Commision are determined to get their grievances with law-makers into the public spotlight. They do so by investing considerable financial resources they have obtained from donors and/or government sponsorship etc, into provocative campaigns seeking public support for their “political advocacy” crusades – all aimed at trying to get the law changed and/or upheld to serve those they claim to advocate on behalf of.

United Future leader, the Hon. Peter Dunne, has today in a Dominion Post report, pointed to “a whole suite of agenda items”, promoted by allegedly “seriously extreme and nutty” campaigners, that in his view constitute “a real moral jihad”. He has highlighted two of his former party members as “extreme”  jihadists possessing “little tolerance” in their alleged “fanaticism over smacking” laws, opposition to the reform of prostitution laws and desire to tighten the abortion laws. [Read more…]

Humanist Society of NZ Inc. – A charity whose primary purpose is promoting Atheism?

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The Humanist Society of New Zealand (Incorporated) [“HSNZ”] incorporated in 1967, was registered as a charity with the Charities Commission on 30 June 2008   (Charity No. CC36074).

Its 2010 and 2011 financial statements available on the Commission’s website, reveal that this lobby group – noted for its “perpetual advocacy” of humanism – received $24,895 in donations between 1 July 2009 and 30 June 2011, money solicited from the public to specifically fund its “NZ Atheist Bus Campaign”.

Only 56% ($13,948) of the donations received over this period were spent on the advertising campaign and no transparent explanation appears to be provided in the financial accounts as to how the remaining surplus ($10,947) was used.

Most of the surplus appears to have been absorbed in what has been labeled cutely, if not disingenuously, as an “investment loss” of $5,657 in 2010 and $716 in 2011 (total $6,373) – caused by the NZ bus company’s refusal to carry HSNZ pro-atheism ‘advertising’.

The bus company’s officials considered the HSNZ controversial advertising signs potentially offensive despite claims to the contrary by HSNZ that they were “friendly” and “innocuous”. NZ Bus officials took the view that the signs might negatively impact on their business and/or infringe advertising standards.

On 1 July 2010 the “NZ Atheist Bus Campaign” website (www.nogod.org.nz) announced that all donations received after that date would now be used for the transportation and installation of fixed billboards in cities around New Zealand.  “Tax-refundable donations” were called for via the website and the “Givealittle Service” website “for more billboards with atheist slogans across all New Zealand.”

These billboards contained the same “innocuous” and “friendly” message intended initially for the exterior of buses, namely:

“There is probably no god, now stop worrying and enjoy yourself”. [Read more…]

NZAF – political advocacy and opposition to HIV disclosure ruling by Court

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NZ Aids Foundation wants ethical-legal balance on disclosure of HIV (Opinion: The Dominion Post, 16 March, 2012, p. B7)

“The very real risk of changing the legal precedent is that it will make people who think they may have contracted HIV afraid to come forward to test for fear that they will face serious prosecution and stigma.” Shaun Robinson, executive director of the registered charity NZAF

The NEW ZEALAND Aids Foundation (NZAF), a registered charity with the Charities Commission, has spoken out yet again against the major legal precedent established by the recent Court of Appeal ruling concerning HIV status disclosure, ACC compensation and a clarification of the nature of “sexual violation”.

The NZAF quarter-page contribution to the debate written by its executive director Shaun Robinson involves “the perpetual advocacy of a particular point of view on moral [ethical] issues,” [to use a phrase coined by the Charities Commission] being that of NZAF. At least 30 registered charities have supported the ruling of the Court of Appeal.

The public are well aware that NZAF is a registered charity committed to “the perpetual advocacy of a particular point of view on ethical [i.e. moral] issues” – (c.f. “propaganda” trusts as they are sometimes termed by the Charities Commission et al.).

The focus of NZAF in the present debate is primarily on the so-called ‘rights’ of “gay” or “bisexual persons” who have been diagnosed HIV-positive to withhold that personal information from their sex-partners, despite the fact that there is a very real risk of the transmission of the deadly virus to their partners via anal and vaginal intercourse, especialy when unprotected sex is engaged in. [Read more…]