The High Court has ruled that Greenpeace NZ’s political activities mean it cannot be registered as a charity and claim the tax-free benefits that go with this. Greenpeace appealed against a 2010 ruling by the Charities Commission which found its actions were political rather than educational and while it did not directly advocate illegal acts, Greenpeace members had acted illegally. In his judgment, Justice Paul Heath found the commission was correct in its judgment and turned down the Greenpeace appeal. The Hound reckons other activists groups such as SAFE and Farmwatch should be next.
