The 2012 CAFCA AGM was held at the Christchurch WEA on September 24. 16 members were present. They were: James Ayers, Murray Horton, Warren Brewer, John Ring, Paul Piesse, Colleen Hughes, Brian Turner, Katherine Peet, John Peet, Bill Willmott, Daphne Crampton, Bruce Tulloch, Daniela Bagozzi, Steffan Browning, Lynda Kitchingham and Susan Miller. James Ayers chaired (in the absence of Jeremy Agar).

Because there were two DVDs to be screened (usually there is only one), the meeting started by screening “Smoke Screen”, which was broadcast on TV3’s 60 Minutes in July. It was a revealing 20 minute programme about the machinations of the tobacco transnational corporations in NZ. Faced with a Government policy of making NZ smokefree by 2025; already denied public displays in shops; and facing the imposition of plain packaging, the merchants of death and addiction are fighting back, issuing threats of court action using NZ’s existing trade deals and the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) as their weapons (as they are already doing in Australia). Tens of thousands of internal documents from their NZ subsidiaries (released as a result of US court action) show what they’ve got up to in NZ in the past 20 years, what they think of the public health system, and the contempt in which they hold their customers (50% of whom die from smoking–related causes).

Apologies were accepted from: Jeremy Agar, Bill Rosenberg, Dennis Small, Viola Palmer, Reihana Robinson, Luke Trainor, Grace Taylor, Helen Kingston, Peter Volker, Eugenie Sage, Graham French and Denis O’Connor. The 2011 Minutes were read by the Secretary, Murray Horton, and accepted.

The 2011 accounts, which had been distributed with Watchdog 130, August 2012, were accepted unanimously. But not before there was some detailed discussion, which led to two resolutions – firstly that our bookkeeper be asked to include an extra column in the accounts providing a comparison with the previous year’s ones, so that members can see trends up or down; and a question about a specific item in the accounts labelled “Loan-Organiser Account”. It was explained both by Murray Horton and CAFCA/ABC Organiser Account Treasurer, Warren Brewer, that there had been such a loan but it was both made and repaid in the 2010 financial year – and that there was no such loan in the 2011 FY (nor is there one in the 2012 FY). This was referred back to the bookkeeper to be clarified and has been, since the AGM – in future the bookkeeper will provide a comparison with the previous year’s accounts. And, it became clear, that he had recorded as a “loan” from CAFCA to the Organiser Account, what are, in fact, regular donations in the form of the interest earned from our three term deposits. CAFCA now routinely directs those interest payments to the Organiser Account, rather than re-investing them (which was the previous practice).

Finances Very Healthy

Murray Horton reported that, as at the day of the AGM, CAFCA’s total bank balance stood at $55,000, in round figures (there are three term deposits totalling $40,000), which was $3,000 down on the balance as of the day of the 2011 AGM. Murray addressed CAFCA’s policy of having solid financial reserves, as questions had been asked by a couple of members, prior to the AGM, about what plans CAFCA has for the money. Murray read into the minutes an e-mail he had sent to those members.

“What do we plan to do with the healthy sums in the three term deposits? Nothing specific – that money is our nest egg and/or our fighting fund. We receive no income other than subs and donations from members (and sometimes from supporters). We don’t get any funding from any agency and I spend absolutely no time writing funding applications. A couple of things you need to take into account.

“a/ None of my pay comes from CAFCA. I am paid from the entirely separately funded CAFCA/ABC Organiser Account and have been since 1991. That is dependent on regular pledgers and one off donations. If CAFCA was responsible for my pay, CAFCA’s bank balance would be very different.

“b/ Because I work from home and am self-employed, CAFCA doesn’t have to pay any rent and very few overheads (e.g. it doesn’t have to pay for power, etc). That has also been the case since 1991. Once again, if CAFCA was renting an office and having to pay the full running costs associated with that, the bank balance would be very different.

“So, those healthy sums (boosted by a $9,000+ bequest in 2011) come from our extremely supportive members. It means we have been able to keep our sub at present rates for many years now (although the relentless increase in postage rates for Watchdog means that we have to keep that under review.)

“Having that money makes us completely financially independent and able to fund our activities (including things like speaking tours, the Roger Award, etc, etc) without having to constantly go back to our members, cap in hand, to fund raise for projects. But having that money as a cushion only works if we are realistic about what modest aims to pursue and fund. For example, if we decided to take a court action on something – say, challenging the asset sales – it would soon get all spent, plus a whole lot more. What is declared in the accounts is CAFCA’s total wealth – it exists to sustain the organisation and our work into the future. It is available for political work, without being eaten up by wages, rent and administration costs”. Murray reported that there were 447 members, as of that date (a decrease of only two from the number at the 2011 AGM, which means that membership is holding steady).

Pay Rise For Organiser

Warren Brewer presented the annual report for the CAFCA/ABC Organiser Account, which pays Murray Horton – his gross annual income is currently $33,440 ($16 per hour). As of the March 31 end of the 2011 financial year the Organiser Westpac cheque account held $9,188.73 (an increase of of nearly $4,000 on the 2010 FY, with the difference being heavily boosted by the $9,000+ bequest from the estate of the late Ron Resnick, received in 2011). In the 2011 Financial Year the Account spent $40,052.38 and income was $43,979.88 (a surplus of nearly $4,000, an improvement on the 2010 FY surplus). Donations totalled $14,965 (34%) and regular pledgers $28,655.82 (65%). There are 61 regular pledgers (up from 59 the previous year), including those who pledge annually, half yearly and quarterly.

Warren reported that the Westpac cheque account has $9,707.82 in it, according to the latest (September) monthly bank statement. And the Account currently has $16,127.55 on term deposit with Kiwibank, which next matures in November. Warren Brewer moved a motion for a $1 per hour pay increase for Murray, to take effect as soon as possible, taking his pay to $17 per hour. This was passed unanimously. Because Murray is now paid by fortnightly automatic payment, and no longer by cheque (a very recent innovation), this rise was not immediate, as it could not take effect until the necessary procedures had been enacted by the bank (which was in October).

Warren pointed out that the pay rise of $1 per hour will add $2,080 to the Organiser Account’s annual expenses and that the Account has now reached the limit of sustainability, meaning that any future pay increase will cause it to go into deficit. So, it was moved from the floor, and passed unanimously, that the CAFCA Committee be authorised to underwrite the Organiser Account to a maximum of $5,000 in the 2012 financial year. The meeting passed a vote of thanks for Warren. He accepted nomination as Organiser Account Treasurer and was duly re-elected.

Biggest Ever Committee

Election of officers. Murray Horton was re-elected as Secretary/Organiser. The Committee was re-elected unopposed - Bill Rosenberg, John Ring, Jeremy Agar, Lynda Boyd, Warren Brewer, James Ayers, Paul Piesse, Colleen Hughes and Dennis Small. Brian Turner was nominated from the floor, accepted, and was duly elected to the Committee. Jeremy Agar is Chairperson. Bill Rosenberg, Lynda Boyd and Dennis Small (who live in Wellington, Auckland and Reefton respectively) are “distance” members. In total, the Committee now numbers 11, the biggest it has ever been.

Murray Horton presented his annual Organiser’s Report. This was done from notes only and the full written version will be published in the April 2013 Watchdog. To briefly list the topics he reported on: Committee; membership; finances; Organiser Account; Watchdog; Websites; Roger Award; media coverage; relations with political parties; New Zealand Not For Sale Campaign; the 2011 election; Keep Our Assets-Christchurch; the issue of land sales to foreigners; annual strategy meeting; Anti-Bases Campaign; Philippines Solidarity Network of Aotearoa; Christchurch earthquakes’ impact & birth of quake fightback politics; future activities. There was no general business.

The AGM concluded by screening a DVD of a fascinating 25 minute panel discussion on the TPPA, broadcast on TV3’s Think Tank in June. Facilitated by the show’s host, former Labour MP John Tamihere, the panel was: Professor Jane Kelsey, NZ’s foremost critic of the TPPA and a world expert on globalisation; Mike Smith, a veteran activist opponent of globalisation for decades; and Syd Keepa, Maori Vice President of the Council of Trade Unions. Tamihere made clear that he invited Tim Groser, the Minister for Trade Negotiations, to appear but Groser declined. The discussion ranged from an analysis of the TPPA and its innumerable fish hooks through to discussion of solutions and alternatives.