Day 30 cont 🤪⛪️🗳️

“Electronic #billboards urging voters to restore Australia’s spirits and put #Labor last have appeared across crucial electorates, echoing a message by a separatist #ChristianSect campaigning for the #Liberal and #National parties.

This masthead reported on Monday that the #PlymouthBrethrenChristianChurch, formerly known as the #ExclusiveBrethren, dispatched hundreds of its members to pre-polling booths in marginal seats where they have used the slogan: “Make Australia smile again.””

“ASIC records show that #AustralianFirebrand was established in April by an #EdwinaBull, who is listed as authorising the ads under electoral #law. Other #PoliticalAdvertisements from #Firebrand include an ad labelling Prime Minister Anthony Albanese a liar that aired on Sky News and water bottles with anti-Labor messages.

The signs calling on voters to “Make Australia Happy Again” use slightly different language to that of the #brethren’s catchcry, and there is scant information about who is behind them”

#AusPol / #LNP / #Coalition / #religion / #extemism / #elections <https://archive.md/EIEt7> / <https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/christian-sect-s-catchcry-echoes-on-marginal-seat-mystery-billboards-20250429-p5luzb.html> (paywall).

Day 30 cont 🤪⛪️🗳️

“A separatist #ChristianSect which tells its members to hate the world and which objects to voting is campaigning for the #Liberal and #Nationals parties ahead of Saturday’s federal election. The #PlymouthBrethrenChristianChurch, formerly known as the #ExclusiveBrethren, has dispatched hundreds of its members to pre-polling booths in #MarginalSeats while instructing them to keep secret that they are members of the controversial #religion.

Workers in five marginal seats in Victoria and NSW told this masthead they had encountered 20 or more Brethren members wearing #Liberal or #National campaign T-shirts handing out how-to-vote cards, some of whom identified themselves as members of the sect. The seats – #Kooyong, #Gorton, #Hawke, #Gilmore and #Calare – are held by #Labor or #independents.

The accounts were backed by #LaborParty campaign sources, speaking anonymously because they were not authorised to speak publicly, who claimed the Brethren members were active in seats in #NSW, #Victoria, #Queensland and #Tasmania, including #Bennelong, #Parramatta, #Whitlam, #Macquarie, #Paterson, #Lyons, #Reid and #Blair.”

#AusPol / #extremism / #RightWing / #LNP / #Coalition / #voting <https://archive.md/osEeV> / <https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/exclusive-brethren-don-t-vote-but-are-secretly-campaigning-for-the-coalition-20250428-p5luny.html> (paywall).

BOOK REVIEW: Excommunicated: A Multigenerational Journey Out of the Exclusive Brethren by Craig Hoyle.

https://stopmandatedshunning.org/craig-hoyle-leaving-the-exclusive-brethren/

#exclusivebrethren #shunning #stopmandatedshunning