Independents, Labor call for clarity over Exclusive Brethren support for Coalition campaign
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Both Labor and independent campaigns have called on the Coalition to clarify if it is being formally supported by a secretive Christian sect.
The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church denies organising volunteers for Coalition campaigns, but says members are free to volunteer on their own.
The Coalition says it does not vet candidates based on their religion, and accepts volunteers from all faiths.
Independent and Labor campaigns have raised questions about an apparently coordinated campaign of support for Coalition candidates by members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church.
Campaigns have reported unusually large numbers of Liberal volunteers manning pre-poll booths in some key marginal seats, and believe many are church members mobilised by the Brethren.
Both the Coalition and the Brethren have denied any kind of arrangement of support.
Independent MP Andrew Gee, who is running against the National Party to hold his seat of Calare, said the Coalition needs to be up-front about where the support has come from.
“I think the National Party has to answer what they’re giving in return for all of this support they’re getting on the ground. And you can’t pretend to turn a blind eye to this,” he said.
The ABC has been provided with text messages claimed to have been sent within church groups that suggest a degree of coordination in how Brethren volunteers are working on booths.
The messages outline how to respond if members are approached while working at polling booths.
They suggest not directly answering any questions about which church they belong to, and not getting drawn into long conversations.
The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, often referred to as the Exclusive Brethren, is a small, conservative Christian sect with around 15,000 members in Australia.
Former members have described a controlling environment within the church, with strict views on gender roles, restrictions on how members dress and behave, and firm opposition to homosexuality.
The Brethren pushes back on those suggestions, arguing its practices align with principles set out in the Bible, and are similar to mainstream Christian religions.
Liberal Party sources have told the ABC reports of the Brethren’s support are overstated, and they do not vet their candidates based on their religion.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the party welcomes supporters of all faiths.
“We’re not discriminating against anybody on the basis of their religion,” he said.
“We have people of, I suspect, every religion supporting us and I’ll make sure that we have the ability to get our message out, which we do through our volunteers.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said there were questions to be asked about how the support had come about.
“(The Coalition) needs to explain going forward — where are all these people coming from? Why are they campaigning?” he said.
Content retrieved from: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-29/is-christian-sect-backing-coalition-campaign-labor-asks/105230160.
