FED: Exclusive Brethren accuses Greens leader of 'vilification'

AAP General News (Australia)
08-27-2008
FED: Exclusive Brethren accuses Greens leader of 'vilification'

The Exclusive Brethren has accused Australian Greens leader BOB BROWN of vilifying
its church and members.

Senator BROWN yesterday urged the upper house to conduct a wide-ranging inquiry into
the activities of the Exclusive Brethren sect .. saying it's prevented thousands of young
Australians proceeding to tertiary education.

But Exclusive Brethren spokesman DANIEL HALES says Senator BROWN's attempt to refer
the church to the Senate's community affairs committee is based on a fictional account
of the sects' activities.

The Greens leader says the inquiry should examine 10 million dollars in government
payments to five Exclusive Brethren schools throughout Australia .. even though they have
just two thousand students.

Mr HALES says Brethren schools receive their funding the same way as other non-government
schools and are subject to the same laws and scrutiny.

AAP RTV jcd/rl/crh/bart

KEYWORD: BRETHREN (CANBERRA)

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