[Greens-Media] MEDIA RELEASE - SENATOR CHRISTINE MILNE - Exclusive Brethren set to influence outcome of Victorian election

[Willis, Katrina (Sen C. Milne)]

MEDIA RELEASE

Tuesday, 19 September 2006

Exclusive Brethren set to influence outcome of Victorian election

News overnight that the Exclusive Brethren have met with the National
Party leader in Victoria to talk about policy should set alarm bells
ringing, Australian Greens Senator Christine Milne said today.

"Victorians need to know that material will be put in their letterboxes
and appear in local and state newspapers that are intended to
deliberately deceive voters, and cleverly conceal the fact that they are
from the Exclusive Brethren," Senator Milne said in Hobart.

"With opinion polls indicating a likely return of a Labor government,
the Exclusive Brethren will turn its attention to the Upper House where
it will try to secure balance of power for the National Party at the
expense of the Greens.

"The pattern is the same whether it's New Zealand, Tasmania or Victoria.

"The Exclusive Brethren, a secretive religious sect which does not allow
its members to vote, meets with leaders of the conservative parties and
then puts together an election programme with big budgets with the goal
of glowingly supporting the National Party and acting as attack dogs
against the Greens with a view to keeping progressive parties out of
parliament.

"Expect a dirty tricks campaign from this secret sect, who will not be
identified on the brochures or advertisements that they produce and who
will claim to be acting as individuals and not as sect members.

"So bad has been their influence in New Zealand that Prime Minister
Helen Clark is moving to legislate against third parties being able to
anonymously influence the outcome of elections.

"This is in direct contrast to the Howard government which benefited
from the support of the Exclusive Brethren in the 2004 federal election
and which has since weakened electoral disclosure laws so that it's
possible for an individual to donate $90,000 to a political party
without disclosure."

Contact: Katrina Willis 03 6234 4566 or 0437 587 562



Katrina Willis
Adviser
Senator Christine Milne
Phone 03 6234 4566
Fax 03 6234 2144
Mobile 0437 587 562
www.christinemilne.org.au