The most senior member of the Exclusive Brethren has denied any knowledge of or involvement in thousands of members from his church volunteering for the Liberal party at the 2025 election.
asserted
thousands → deny → election
The Plymouth Brethren christian church has rejected claims it coordinated volunteers and a campaign for the Coalition, and that it secretly paid far-right figures to stage stunts against the prime minister and other Labor MPs.
uncertain
it → reject → minister
The fiery parliamentary committee hearing on Friday was marred by clashes, with members of the committee accusing one another of “religious persecution” and “running a protection racket” for the church.
asserted
members → mar → church
Bruce Hales, the Brethren’s most senior member, said he had no involvement or knowledge of church members volunteering for the Coalition.
asserted
he → say → Coalition
“I want to be clear and unequivocal.
asserted
I → want → ?
I had no involvement whatsoever in relation to any members who volunteered or took part in any aspect of the 2025 federal election,” he told the inquiry.
asserted
he → have → inquiry
“I did not plan such activities.
asserted
I → plan → activities
I did not coordinate such activities.
asserted
I → coordinate → activities
I did not direct such activities.
asserted
I → direct → activities
I did not fund such activities.”
asserted
I → fund → activities
Hales denied that his church was a cult, a term used by the prime minister, while his son, Gareth Hales, who also appeared before the committee, said it was “a bit rough” being labelled as such.
asserted
it → deny → committee
Gareth Hales gave evidence on Friday he had met Morgan C Jonas and Chris de Bruyne separately in a business capacity, and briefly discussed the “general direction the government was headed”.
asserted
government → give → direction
The independent MP Andrew Gee referred to the two as far-right activists, although Gareth Hales denied knowing their political affiliations at the time.
asserted
Hales → refer → time
Nine newspapers have reported Jonas and de Bruyne were involved in a campaign that targeted Labor and other left-leaning politicians during the election.
asserted
that → report → election
Gareth Hales denied reports his company Sante Global paid the two men to disrupt other campaigns.
asserted
company → deny → campaigns
There was turmoil in the committee as Coalition members likened questioning by Labor and crossbench MPs to a “Spanish Inquisition”.
asserted
members → be → Inquisition
Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie and Liberal MP Ben Small repeatedly interrupted questions, calling them “disgraceful” and “disrespectful”.
asserted
McKenzie → interrupt → them
McKenzie said the line of questioning looked “a lot like religious persecution”, while Small was accused of trying to answer questions for the church.
asserted
Small → say → church
Gee, who was previously a Nationals MP, said the two were running an “old Liberal party protection racket”, a comment he was forced to withdraw.
asserted
he → say → racket
On 20 April 2025, just under two weeks before the federal election, Bruce Hales gave a sermon where he told members to be “fervent in prayer for good government”, and that the country needed to be happy again and smiling again.
asserted
country → give → government
The latter two phrases were seen on posters endorsing the Liberal party during the campaign.
asserted
phrases → see → campaign
Bruce Hales denied his sermon was a call to action and said he had no knowledge of his words being used in billboards and advertising at the election.
asserted
words → deny → election
Nine newspapers reported the sermon had been broadcast and then turned into a text message by Gareth Hale and his brothers, which said, “We need to make sure our booths are manned and our volunteers are fired up.”
asserted
volunteers → report → Hale
Gareth Hales, who has no official role in the church, said he could not confirm or deny whether he had written this message but denied instructing members to join the campaign.
uncertain
he → have → campaign
He said he had encouraged members who had already been volunteering to “keep doing what they were doing”.
asserted
they → say → what
Gee, who claimed he was tailed by several Brethren members in his regional New South Wales electorate, said it “defies belief” that the church had no role in coordinating volunteers.
asserted
church → claim → volunteers
Gareth Hales said they were not acting as members of the church.
asserted
they → say → church
“I can understand it’s difficult to believe but they weren’t members of the church, they were members of concerned business groups and members of private citizens – they weren’t there on behalf of the church,” Gareth Hales said.
asserted
Hales → understand → church
Gee replied: “I, for one, am not buying what you are selling but I do appreciate you giving evidence today.”
asserted
you → reply → evidence
The Aporia
