Exclusive Brethren money for Howard, Bush, Brash

Exclusive Brethren money for Howard, Bush, Brash campaigns questioned

Huge advertising campaigns by the shadowy Exclusive Brethren Church to
back right-wing parties in Australia, New Zealand and the USA were
questioned in the Senate today.

Greens Senator Bob Brown asked Special Minister of State, Eric Abetz,
about the sect's funding of pamphlets backing Prime Minister Howard
last
year and authorised out of an Exclusive Brethren school in Sydney.

He asked if Mr Howard had met with world leader of the sect Mr Bruce
Hales who is reported to have predicted 'the rapture' or end of the
world if Mr Howard and President Bush were not re-elected. Sect members
are not allowed to vote.

Senator Brown told parliament that in an 'international conspiracy' by
the sect, seven Brethren business men had admitted to funding an
expensive Australian-styled leaflet campaign against Labour and the
Greens in New Zealand in the run up to next Saturday's election.

"Voters in all 3 countries deserve to know the link-ups by which huge
amounts of money from the Exclusive Brethren is being channelled into
politics," he said.

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