Brethren Church Denies Paying Influencers to Disrupt Election Campaign

The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church has strongly denied allegations that it secretly paid individuals, including influencers, to disrupt the Labor Party's re-election campaign last year. The church, formerly known as the Exclusive Brethren, faces accusations of a coordinated effort involving far-right figures to track and harass candidates.

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Much was made of the fact that some individuals in the church volunteered during the election, and that was used to justify it becoming open season on the Christian brethren.

Appearing before a Senate inquiry, Lloyd Grimshaw, a director of the church, refuted the claims, stating that church members themselves were subjected to "extraordinary attacks" at polling booths. He described the allegations as a "complete lie" and denied any political donations were made by the church. Grimshaw asserted that the media reports lacked specific allegations against any church member, dismissing them as baseless.

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The story makes not one specific allegation about a specific member of our church.

Grimshaw explained that a strong volunteering culture exists within the church, with members participating for various "normal reasons," such as supporting candidates or assisting with election-day activities. He cautioned against assuming anyone involved in election volunteering was a church member based on appearance.

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There are countries throughout the world where people get paid to engage in physical intimidation around election time, and the thought that Australia has been added to that list should send a chill among everyone who loves this country.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke stressed the importance of protecting Australian democracy by drawing a firm line against intimidation, particularly paid physical intimidation. He expressed concern that such tactics, common in other countries, could infiltrate Australian elections. Burke also indicated that he and the Australian Federal Police are increasingly dealing with threats against parliamentary staff and associates, calling for an end to such practices.

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We need to draw a line under this.