The Wire with Joel

Concerns have been raised regarding Aotearoa’s tax model, regarding charities also operating as businesses.

Despite the current model requiring all profit obtained through a charity's business not be used for personal gain, this is a little bit of a grey area.

For example, any profit from weet-bix cereal products is tax exempt, due to Sanitarium Health Food Company being owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which results in the company having an advantage over their competitors.

However, with the 2025 Budget set to be released later this year, changes may be made to this system.

News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to a Senior Lecturer in the Accounting Department at AUT, Ranjana Gupta, about this tax model, and what she hopes will come out of the 2025 Budget regarding this.

They started off by asking her about what purpose a charity may have to run a business as well.

The Consumer Guarantees (Right to Repair) Amendment Bill passed its first reading in Parliament yesterday.

The bill would require manufacturers to make repair parts and information available to consumers to extend the lifetime of their products.

Wire host Caeden spoke to University of Auckland Professor and Right to Repair Coalition Aotearoa member Alex Sims about the bill and its limitations.

A family-friendly Auckland Pride Event was stormed by about 50 protestors in Te Atutū on Saturday.

The event, involving a Drag King talking to children about the science of Rainbows, was invaded by members of Destiny’s Church. Later the same day Destiny’s Church intimidated attendees at Auckland’s Rainbow Parade.

And the government has launched a new tourism ad campaign with the tagline “Everyone Must Go!”

The tagline has had a mixed reception, however, it aims to boost Australian tourism numbers, which haven’t recovered to pre-pandemic levels.

For our weekly catch-up with Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni, Wire host Caeden asks about both of these topics.

For their weekly catch up with the Green Party, Oto spoke to Ricardo Menendez March about the government’s recent tourism and biodiversity fund, as well as Destiny Church’s protests at recent pride events and the deportation notice given to 18-year-old Daman Kumar.

For this week’s Get Action! Oto spoke to Vanessa Cole from public housing futures to discuss a campaign of hers calling for the government to construct more public housing for people on the “true waitlist”.

And he spoke to Carrie Leonetti - an associate professor in Law at the University of Auckland at the University of Auckland, to discuss the government’s new anti-stalking legislation, and why it falls short of protecting stalking victims.

Sasha spoke to Dr Chanelle Duley, a lecturer in Business at the University of Auckland, about the introduction of a new bill that will aim at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses.

Amani spoke to University of Auckland’s School of Population Health and spokesperson for Health Coalition Aotearoa, Dr. Kelly Garton, on why we should give kids a break from junk food ads.

She also spoke to Professor at Lincoln University’s Department of Soil & Physical Sciences and Co-Director of Bioprotection Aotearoa, Amanda Black, on how the use of pesticides is worsening the “biodiversity crisis.”