Why The Warehouse and Sanitarium Weet-Bix showdown is significant
i.stuff.co.nz
Sanitarium pays no tax in New Zealand, but registered charity appears to be trying to 'throw its weight around', an academic says.

I have no idea how Sanitarium thought what they were doing was ok and that they would get away with it after the supermarket investigation by comcom and the cost of living crisis being the biggest election issue.

  • Dave@lemmy.nzM
    4·
    1 year ago

    Sanitarium are not a charity. I’ve explained a bit more in another reply here.

    In my view, there is nothing wrong with a church having charitable status. However, this status should be based on their charity, not based on them simply being a church.

    Hell, we could apply the marae criteria to churches:

    b) a marae has a charitable purpose if the physical structure of the marae is situated on land that is a Maori reservation referred to in Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 1993 (Maori Land Act 1993)and the funds of the marae are not used for a purpose other than—
    (i) the administration and maintenance of the land and of the physical structure of the marae:
    (ii) a purpose that is a charitable purpose other than under this paragraph.

    And I’d add a charity should not be allowed to donate to political parties or encourage their members to. A charity should be non-political.

    • Rangelus@lemmy.nz
      2·
      1 year ago

      Yeah I was wrong, I’ve edited my reply.

      I agree with your suggestion btw. Charities should do charitable works. Being a church in on in itself a charitable works. We really need to move past religion as the most important thing.