Extract:

Media Release (For Immediate Release)

Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey is “staggered” by revelations that Auckland International Airport has been secretly funding a fight against an alternative airport at Whenuapai.

“We have long suspected that WAAG was being funded by foul means rather than fair. And our suspicions have been confirmed.

“AIAL is the business equivalent of the Exclusive Brethren,” says Mayor Harvey, referring to the religious sect’s secret campaign to support the National Party at the last election.

“Here we have a major listed New Zealand company hiding behind a supposed community group, acting out of total self interest, and trying to keep it all secret.”

Extract:

Twenty-five years ago, food historian Michael Symons published a detailed and damning history of Australian food over two centuries. Our cuisine, he concluded, was a "great Australian catastrophe", a long decline towards mass production and the takeover of food by monster monopoly companies which made it artificial and inedible in the name of profit.

Now, 25 years later, Symons has updated and reissued his One Continuous Picnic. The picture he paints is still not pretty.

Coffee franchises are another mass supplier on Symons's hit list, along with religious groups involved in food such as the Seventh Day Adventist church which produces Sanitarium cereals (and an "Up&Go Liquid Breakfast", promoted as health but which consisted of fibre from chicory inulin, starch from a strain of maize, and a slurry of water, soy, oil and milk powder), Exclusive Brethren, which manufactures McAlpin's flour ...

The exclusive brethren is denying claims by the Prime Minister that meetings they held before the last election were not scheduled beforehand.

The Brethren has released minutes of meetings it says it held with five Labour Cabinet Ministers and Helen Clark.

She's described them as public ambushes - not pre-arranged meetings.

Brethren spokesman Tony McCorkell says the government should come clean about their relationship in the build-up to the last election.

The Exclusive Brethren says it had meetings with Prime Minister Helen Clark and other ministers before the last election.

But Helen Clark says her encounters with the Brethren were while she was out in public and felt like she was being "stalked".

TV3 last night reported it had been given detailed minutes written by the Exclusive Brethren following meetings in 2004 with the Prime Minister.

Meetings were also held with Cabinet ministers David Benson-Pope, Rick Barker, Annette King, Pete Hodgson and David Parker, it said.

The minutes showed Brethren members met Helen Clark twice before the election.

Labour has criticised National over its association with the Brethren, who met the then leader, Don Brash, before the church funded a $1.2 million anti-Labour, anti-Greens campaign at the election.

National deputy leader Bill English said Labour was showing "breathtaking hypocrisy" and had been "lying" about its contact with Brethren.

"These minutes show there has been detailed discussions," he told TV3.

Exclusive Brethren spokesman Tony McCorkell said the Labour Party had been "a little dishonest" in saying it had not met church representatives "when the Brethren have clearly identified themselves".

But Helen Clark said the meetings were not formal ones, but encounters while she was out and about at public events.

"There's nothing formal about people crowding in on you on public engagements. I'm known for being a pretty polite person so when people come up you tend to engage in conversation, then you realise, hang on, there's a number of people here. What is going on?"

TV3 said the minutes of a meeting in Greymouth in 2004 showed Brethren members shook hands with the Prime Minister and that she asked what the men did. They talked about the economy and employment law.

Mr McCorkell said the minutes showed the meetings with Helen Clark were "pre-arranged, there is no question about that".

He said she had also met Brethren members privately in a room at a Nelson school.

Helen Clark said: "I feel it's like being stalked. These people surround you in public places when you're out on your ordinary business."

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said last week that she had increased her security after a member of the Exclusive Brethren accosted her in Parliament before the last election.

This revelation came after Mr McCorkell said Helen Clark had asked for a policy document the Brethren prepared in 2003 "after meeting with Brethren members".

The Prime Minister's spokesman said at the time that as far as she was aware, she had never had a scheduled meeting with Brethren members.

"On occasion, Brethren members have come up to her at public meetings," the spokesman said.

"There was one occasion in the Nelson area when she found herself surrounded by them. She extricated herself by asking them to send her any documents they had.".

Klingons were the weird aliens in that ancient television cult epic, Star Trek. It would be a good name for the Exclusive Brethren, I found myself musing last week, after the Prime Minister, Helen Clark, revealed that Brethren members had also tried to waylay her on occasions as she made her way to Parliament.

You can imagine the scene: lobby bells ringing, MPs rushing into the chamber, the Prime Minister aware of the host of questions she is about to face on difficult political issues and mentally rehearsing her answers. Then up pop the Klingons, wanting to discuss with her, in these few vital seconds, the evils they see facing the nation and the world.

It reminded me of a scene during the general-election campaign when a member of the infamous Gang of Seven Exclusive Brethren waylaid Don Brash at Auckland airport. Brash needed to watch a lead item on television news, so he was steered to a television set. The TV was turned on, and I waited, confident that the Klingon would flee the broadcasting evil, like Superman would flee a lump of kryptonite.

But he stayed put and watched the TV news item, too. Considering that television and radio are no-go areas for serious Brethren, I could only assume that the sect have their own form of papal dispensation for senior members carrying out God's work.

The Klingons certainly fastened their hooks into Brash before the election, while some National MPs were, sensibly, more wary. Rangitikei MP Simon Power, for example, would not have a bar of them in his electorate.

Labour is seeking, again, to portray the Brethren as a malignant evil because this serves as a useful foil for making changes to election-funding rules. But it seems to me that the Brethren are more an unworldly bunch of blundering innocents.

For example, National staffers were horrified before the last election when it was found that the Brethren planned to run an advertising campaign to urge the resumption of American warship visits.

First, that was almost the last issue on which National wanted to fight an election. To make matters worse, the Brethren, initially at least, seemed to think they could get away with an anonymous campaign.

After the close-run election, they were at it again. Political parties were almost tripping over Brethren lobbyists in parliamentary corridors as the Klingons tried influencing the outcome of coalition talks.

It has probably still not dawned on them that their efforts helped National lose the election. Hence the reaction of the Gang of Seven to Labour's recently leaked plans to place limits on third-party election advertising. A more astute, politically aware group would have remained out of sight, leaving it to others to point out that such moves would be a breach of the Bill of Rights Act and an infringement of free speech. Instead, to Labour's huge delight, the Gang of Seven charged in, arguing the case themselves and promising "watch this space" over election advertising next year. It was just the diversion Labour needed, and all at a time when the church's media-savvy Australian spokesman was trying to distance the church from any formal involvement in the New Zealand election process.

For all their weird beliefs, their attempts to keep their women and children cloistered and their edict against voting, the Brethren have as much right as anyone else to express a view. No-one yet has suggested limiting the lobbying rights of the Catholic Church, the Anglicans, the unions or the Business Round Table.

But there was a deplorable attack on the National Party's deputy leader, Bill English, in Parliament a few weeks ago after he met a delegation in his electorate who, it transpired, were Brethren. If that line is taken to its logical conclusion, Labour will have to start to distribute the equivalent of yellow stars to be stitched on Brethren's shirts.

If I were Labour, I would relax third-party advertising restrictions to encourage further Brethren election advertising forays. That would be a wonderful diversion at the next election, and allow Labour to raise much better conspiracy allegations than the rather worn "American bagman" variety.

* Richard Long was a chief of staff for former National leaders Don Brash and Bill English.

Police say they are making progress in gathering evidence in their investigation into alleged historic sex abuse by a senior member of the Exclusive Brethren.

Three former women members of the secret religious sect have laid complaints with Nelson police that they were sexually molested by the man when they were children.

A fourth woman is understood to be laying a complaint in Auckland.

Tasman district police commander Superintendent Grant O'Fee, who is in charge of the investigation, said today he had a briefing yesterday from the detectives working on the case.

`We are still progressing on the background inquiries and speaking to the women concerned. There is a lot of work to do before the matter is finalised," Mr O'Fee told NZPA.

He said because it was an abuse case, it may take a while especially as it was "historic".

To date, there had been no positive response from the public, he said.

Police had not talked to the Nelson man at the centre of the investigations but would do so once they were confident of the facts.

"There's little point in interviewing the suspect until we have got all the facts in front of us.

"That is standard procedure."

Mr O'Fee said the investigation was going at a reasonable pace and taking statements from people took several days.

"Sometimes the statements take hours but often end up several days later."

Mr O'Fee repeated his call for information from members of the public, saying the allegations were serious and stretched back several decades.

"All of the people involved either were or are Exclusive Brethren. The complaints were historical stretching back 40 years."

Exclusive Brethren man under investigation for alleged sex abuse excluded from church

A member of the Exclusive Brethren who is under police investigation for alleged sexual abuse is being kept away from the church.

Brethren spokesman Tony McCorkell says an elderly man is at the centre of the claims and the church is co-operating fully with police. He is urging anyone with any other claims to come forward and talk with officers.

The man has been excluded from church and from interacting with minors until the investigation is complete.

A senior member of the Exclusive Brethren being investigated for allegedly molesting children has been given the cold shoulder by the secretive sect.

And the organisation's troubleshooter has delayed returning to Australia as he helps deal with the claims by former church members of sex abuse within the religious group.

The accused member will not be attending Sunday's gospel preachings after being accused by four former female members of sexual abuse when they were aged between five and 10.

According to the man tasked with raising the Exclusive Brethren's image, the accused is no longer welcome at church.

"He won't be attending church functions or being around members until such time as the investigation is complete," says Tony McCorkell.

This week the church officially denied knowing about the allegations from four former members but now its spokesman acknowledges there could be more complaints and is extending his visit to New Zealand to deal with the fallout.

"The Exclusive Brethren don't have a culture that condones this. This is not a cultural issue within the church," says McCorkell.

Five weeks into their investigation police have interviewed two of the four alleged victims. They have not received any fresh complaints but are calling on anybody with information to come forward.

On Sunday Exclusive Brethren will meet in halls across the country but most are unlikely to have seen media reports of the accusations. However McCorkell says the Brethren will co-operate with the ongoing police inquiry.

Exclusive Brethren leaders in Nelson have been spoken to by church officials who are trying to find out more details about former members' claims of sexual abuse in Nelson, an Exclusive Brethren spokesman says.

The Exclusive Brethren's Australia and New Zealand spokesman, Tony McCorkell, said the church was not trying to cover up the situation, but needed more information about the sexual abuse alleged before it could act.

Nelson police have received complaints from three former Exclusive Brethren women, which involve allegations of historical molestation of children by one man over four decades.

A fourth woman is understood to be in the process of laying a complaint in Auckland about the same man, who is still a member of the sect.

Tasman police district commander Inspector Grant O'Fee called for information from members of the public, saying the allegations were serious and stretched back several decades.

"All of the people involved either were or are Exclusive Brethren. The complaints were historical stretching back 40 years," he said.

"They are serious sexual allegations. Some of the complainants no longer live in the Nelson area." It is understood that at least one lives in Auckland.

"Police are still at the gathering information phase. We have not yet spoken to the man in question. Because of the long time period the circumstances are understandably hazy," Mr O'Fee said.

"If these sorts of circumstances strike a chord with people we would like to hear from them."

Mr McCorkell, who is based in Australia, said that until Thursday, when there was media coverage of the matter, he had only heard rumours that there were cases in New Zealand where former Exclusive Brethren women were alleging sexual abuse.

"That was all we'd heard. We didn't know who or what. We don't act on rumours."

Television One News reported on Thursday night that when asked what the church was doing about the sexual abuse allegations, Mr McCorkell replied: "I'm not aware of that. If you have evidence of that, I'd be glad to see it."

However, he told the Nelson Mail on Friday that while his visit to New Zealand this week was partly in relation to the row over political involvement by Brethren members, it was also to meet with former Exclusive Brethren members who claimed to have details about the sexual abuse allegations.

He said he met with those former members in Wellington on Thursday but said they refused to give details to him and wanted to deal with the accused man.

"It left me bewildered and confused," Mr McCorkell said.

"I can't say yes or no (to that request). I stressed that if there's anyone in harm's way it has to be tabled so the church can deal with it."

"No one has come to the church with the details.

"Honestly and truthfully, unless the allegations are actually given to the Brethren, how can the Brethren do anything about it?"

Mr McCorkell said church officials spoke to Nelson members about the situation on Friday and still wanted details about the complaints so the church could look into the allegations.

"How can we act if we don't know what we are acting on?"

The mother of one of the complainants has said that over a decade ago she wrote to her parents, who were in the church, with her daughter's allegations. She said her parents took the concerns to the church leaders in Nelson, had the matter looked into, and were told it was completely without foundation. Mr McCorkell said he had no knowledge of that.

The church's troubleshooter was due to return to Australia Friday but cancelled his flight at a late stage after speaking to the Nelson Mail and then contacting Mr O'Fee, who confirmed that police were investigating the complaints.

Mr McCorkell said the alleged offender remained a member of the church but had never held any position of seniority. He believed it was not a matter of a breach of trust in a church role.

He said he had spoken to the elderly Nelson man, who was not attending church while police investigations were under way.

Mr McCorkell said he decided to stay in New Zealand another day to deal with media, rather than to get involved in the police inquiry, which he said he did not want to prejudice.

He planned to fly back to Australia tonight.

Exclusive Brethren troubleshooter Tony McCorkell has delayed his return to Australia after revelations that New Zealand police are investigating claims that a member of the secretive religious sect had sexually abused children.

The Brisbane businessman, sent by the church to distance it from political activities of some New Zealand members, said last night that he would stay in this country to deal with the latest controversy.

Tasman police commander Superintendent Grant O'Fee confirmed yesterday that the police were investigating complaints by four women that they were abused as children by a man in Nelson at various times from about 20 to 40 years ago.

The women were all former members of the Exclusive Brethren, he told the Weekend Herald.

Some of the accusations referred to alleged abuse when they were aged under 10.

Mr O'Fee said although the police were treating the complaints seriously, they had yet to interview the man, who another former church member told the Herald was now in his 70s.

Mr O'Fee said he was sure his officers would seek help from the church as their inquiry unfolded, but they had yet to do so, even though he was contacted yesterday by Mr McCorkell for confirmation they were investigating complaints by the women.

Mr McCorkell, who has been in New Zealand since Tuesday discussing the impact on the church of plans by some of its senior members here to campaign against the Government, denied the sex allegations were a primary reason for his visit.

He said the alleged offender remained a member of the church but held no position of seniority.

He said that the church would give every co-operation to the police, if asked, and that he had already spoken to the man.

"My understanding is that the relationship between the alleged victims and the alleged perpetrator was a family relationship ... nothing to do with the church.

"I think the myths surrounding the church are getting a little hysterical."

The Exclusive Brethren church has pledged to co-operate with police in an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse of children.

Police said yesterday that they started an investigation five weeks ago into allegations of historical sex abuse filed by four women against a member of the secretive sect in the Nelson region.

Tasman police district commander Grant O'Fee called for people to come forward with information.

"All of the people involved either were or are Exclusive Brethren. The complaints were historical, stretching back 40 years," he said.

"They are serious sexual allegations. Some of the complainants no longer live in the Nelson area."

It is thought at least one of the women lives in Auckland.

"Police are still at the gathering-information phase. We have not yet spoken to the man in question.

"Because of the long time period, the circumstances are understandably hazy," O'Fee said.

"If these sorts of circumstances strike a chord with people, we would like to hear from them."

Asked if the sect was being co-operative, O'Fee said police had not informed it until yesterday of the investigation.

The women are understood to be aged between the mid-20s and the mid-60s and to be alleging offending in the Nelson area between the early 1950s and early 1980s.

The allegations come amid a political row between the Brethren and the Government, which this week accused the sect's leadership of lying about its involvement in efforts to sway the results of elections in New Zealand.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Helen Clark declined to comment on the sexual-abuse allegations.

The Labour-led Government and the National Party have traded blows over the Brethren since it was revealed during the 2005 election campaign that seven New Zealand businessman belonging to the sect planned to spend more than $1 million on advertising critical of the Government and its allies.

The Australia-based church leaders said they had yesterday started a "vigorous" investigation of their own into the allegations of sexual abuse.

Church spokesman Tony McCorkell, who arrived in Auckland this week from Queensland, said police had confirmed they were investigating.

"Obviously, the church as a whole won't make a comment on it now it has gone to that stage, other than to say the church will co-operate with any investigation fully and openly," he said.

McCorkell said earlier in the day that police had not given him details of the allegations, but he had interviewed the man accused by the women after the allegations began to filter through to the public on Thursday night.

The complaints came about after the women, or friends of the women, approached two former members of the Brethren to ask for help.

The mother of one complainant alleged her six-year-old daughter was sexually assaulted by the man, then a friend of the family.

She said they received a letter from the man they had accused, saying he would never do such a thing.

She said her daughter was prepared to lay a complaint now that she knew there were other women coming forward.

McCorkell accused the complainants of keeping the church leadership in the dark. Brethren leaders in Australia and New Zealand were aware of "rumours of sexual abuse" but he would be surprised if any leaders who originally received the historical complaints were alive. "We still don't have any information on the accusers or the alleged victims."

Police have confirmed a senior member of the Exclusive Brethren church is under investigation after claims he has been sexually abusing children for decades, despite a spokesperson for the church denying all knowledge when the claims were publicised.

Following a six-month ONE News investigation, it was revealed on Thursday that four women, all former members of the church, laid complaints against the man, claiming they were abused when they were aged between five and 10.

The alleged abuse stretches back decades. The eldest complainant is now 61 years old, and the youngest in her mid 20s.

Neither the man nor the house where he allegedly sexually abused a six-year-old girl can be identified, but police say they are investigating the senior member.

"These are serious allegations of sexual...of course we're interested in the activities of a person we're investigating, just like any offence. They could still be committing offences," says Superintendent Grant O'Fee.

The police investigation was launched five weeks ago. So far two of the four complainants have been interviewed.

As the alleged abuse stretches back 40 years, police say they will need co-operation from those inside the secretive church.

"We will have discussions with the church I'm sure as the inquiry unfolds, but as yet that's not an issue for us," says O'Fee.

In a ONE News interview on Thursday, the Exclusive Brethren officially denied any knowledge of the abuse claims. The church's Australia based spokesperson Tony McCorkell, who is currently in New Zealand, said he was "not aware" of the allegations.

However, after McCorkell asked the cameras to stop rolling, he admitted he had just come from a meeting where the sexual abuse claims were discussed - and said "I haven't even formulated my opinion on it yet".

On Friday, the Exclusive Brethren attempted to discredit the ONE News story.

"I feel it's a trial by media. I think Mr Tornquist from ONE News has done a hatchet job on the Brethren. I'm disappointed. I'm very disappointed and would urge the members of the public not to react to this issue," says McCorkell.

However, O'Fee is asking anyone with knowledge of abuse within the church to contact police

"If they think or they have information about people that were abused, or if they were abused...this may go back 40 years ago, we would like to speak to those people and we would urge them to come forward and to bring their stories to us".

Wellington - Four New Zealand women have laid complaints with police alleging they were sexually abused by a senior member of the Exclusive Brethren sect when they were children more than 40 years ago, news reports said Friday.

Police in the South Island city of Nelson confirmed they were investigating the complaints, and the church's Australian-based official spokesman Tony McCorkell told Radio New Zealand, 'The church and its members will cooperate fully with law enforcement and any other authority to ensure the matter is dealt with transparently, openly and to the satisfaction of the law and the public.'

Constable Sally McBride told the Nelson Evening Mail that the complaints were serious allegations of historical molestation of children by one man over four decades. One victim was reported to be under 10 at the time she was assaulted.

The women, who were all reported to have left the church, are understood to now be 29 to 61 years old, the paper said.

Nelson police have confirmed that they are investigating three historic complaints of sexual abuse by a senior member of the Exclusive Brethren.

Police say the complaints made by three women involve allegations of child molestation over four decades.

The offending is alleged to have taken place between the early 1950s and early 1980s.

Police say they have not yet spoken to the man and are unsure if he is a current or former member of the Exclusive Brethren.

UPDATED REPORT: Nelson police are investigating complaints from three former Exclusive Brethren women alledging they were sexually abused by a reportedly senior member of the secret religious sect when they were children.

A police spokeswoman said today the complaints involved allegations of child molestation over four decades.

The offending is alleged to have taken place between the early 1950s and early 1980s.

The spokeswoman said police had not yet spoken to the man and were unsure if he was a current or former member of the Exclusive Brethren.

The spokeswoman said the investigation was in its early stages and it could be some time before police decided if charges would be laid.

A fourth woman is understood to be making a complaint against the man in Auckland.

Television One News alleged last night the church's Australia-based spokesman, Tony McCorkell, currently in New Zealand, was investigating the claims – although he denied that when interviewed by the channel yesterday. Asked what the church was doing about the sexual abuse allegations, he replied: "I'm not aware of that. If you have evidence of that I'd be glad to see it."

Mr McCorkell said the church would never try to cover up such allegations.

But TV One said two of the women, former members of the sect, had told church leaders about the abuse at the time it happened and were ignored.

One woman, who was not identified, said she believed there had been "multiple offenders".

"If I went and asked them now they would try and deny it because in there it's a huge guilt and fear thing," she said.

"A lot of people who perhaps have been involved in that sort of thing would not go outside the church for help."

TV One reported that the complainants believed children could have been molested as recently as last year.

It said the women had not known of each other's cases until recently, and came forward following previous reports of sexual abuse.

The network said the women – aged between the early 20s and 61 – claimed they were abused by the man when they were aged between five and 10.

The Exclusive Brethren says New Zealand police have been unable to confirm allegations of child abuse made by One News last night.

The news report says four women had laid complaints, claiming they were abused by the man when they were aged between five and 10.

It also alleges the current world leader of the sect Bruce Hales knows of the abuse and has failed to act.

Exclusive Brethren spokesman Tony McCorkell says he has been unable to find any evidence to back up the allegations.

A senior member of the Exclusive Brethren Church in New Zealand is under police investigation for allegedly molesting children over four decades, TV One News reported last night.

The network said that after a six-month investigation it could reveal four women had laid complaints, claiming they were abused by the man when they were aged between five and 10.

The report said the church's Australia-based spokesman, Tony McCorkell, was in New Zealand to investigate the claims himself – although he was not willing to admit that.

Mr McCorkell arrived on Tuesday, announcing his presence and answering media questions about the latest row over political involvement by Brethren members.

Asked by reporter Ben Tornquist what the church was doing about the sexual abuse allegations, he replied: "I'm not aware of that. If you have evidence of that I'd be glad to see it."

Mr McCorkell said the church would never try to cover up such allegations.

But TV One News said two of the women, former members of the sect, had told church leaders about the abuse at the time it happened and were ignored.

One woman, who was not identified, said in an interview with Tornquist she believed there had been "multiple offenders".

"If I went and asked them now they would try and deny it because in there it's a huge guilt and fear thing," she said.

"A lot of people who perhaps have been involved in that sort of thing would not go outside the church for help."

Tornquist reported that the complainants believed children could have been molested as recently as last year.

He said the women had not known of each other's cases until recently, and came forward following previous TV One reports of sexual abuse.

Prime Minister Helen Clark says unwanted approaches from Exclusive Brethren members before the last election forced her to increase her police security detail.

Clark was replying to comments from the secretive sect that she had met members before the 2005 election and asked for a copy of a Brethren lobbying document circulated to MPs on issues such as defence spending.

Those comments were picked up yesterday by National Party deputy leader Bill English, who accused Clark of "breathtaking hypocrisy".

"Helen Clark and Labour have been merciless in their attacks on any politician who has met with Brethren members, including a scurrilous attack on me for meeting (them as) constituents," he said.

"It is now clear that while she was attacking other politicians for meeting with members of the Brethren, she had discussed political issues with them herself and been sent documents."

A spokesman for Clark said she had never formally met Brethren members, either in her constituency office or elsewhere. However, she had in public situations been "harangued" by men from the conservative church.

A spokesman said the men surrounded her at a school hall opening and later "harangued" her office for meetings which were refused.

"On her way to the House she got harangued to such an extent that she upped her security detail."

The spokesman said Clark had until then not required a security escort while walking from her Beehive office to Parliament. Now she is routinely shadowed by two or more Diplomatic Protection Squad officers.

Prime Minister Helen Clark has revealed she increased her security after being accosted by members of the Exclusive Brethren church before the last election.

The claim emerged yesterday after the Brethren said a document used by Labour this week to mount a fresh attack on the church was one given to Miss Clark by Brethren members during a meeting with her in 2003.

Church spokesman Anthony McCorkell said he understood there were photographs of the meeting but had no further details.

National deputy leader Bill English has used the reported meeting to accuse Miss Clark of "hypocrisy" for her attacks on National MPs over their meetings with Exclusive Brethren members.

But Labour says the claim is nonsense given the anti-Government campaigns the Brethren funded during the 2005 campaign.

Miss Clark's office has confirmed she had been approached at various public events before then by Brethren members demanding a sit-down meeting, which she refused.

"She told them to send her their concerns in the post, which they duly did."

Miss Clark also said Brethren members queuing for public galleries at Parliament had tried to stop her on her way to the debating chamber several times, resulting in her having to "up her security detail".

But apart from their informal approaches there had never been any meetings scheduled between Miss Clark and church members, the spokesman said.

Miss Clark has previously dismissed the Brethren as a "weird sect".

Former National leader Don Brash became embroiled in controversy after denying any knowledge of Brethren pamphlets distributed as part of a campaign costing several hundred thousand dollars attacking Labour and the Greens.

It later emerged that he held several meetings with the so-called "secret seven" who were behind the pamphlets - a group of businessmen who are prominent within the church - and that they had informed him of their plans.

Members of the Exclusive Brethren also actively campaigned for some National MPs in their electorates and hired private investigators to dig up dirt on senior Labour politicians, including Miss Clark and Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen.

The church has distanced itself from the activities of the "secret seven", whose members have re-emerged in recent days to attack the Government over its plans to limit third-party campaigning at the next election.

Mr McCorkell, the church's Australian-based spokesman, said yesterday that it was unfortunate the church had become embroiled in the controversy because of the actions of individual members.

He confirmed that the men involved were senior members of the church - but said they were never acting on behalf of the church and had never suggested they were.

He had since suggested that they formalise the group to make it clear they were not speaking for the church, he said.

"I think it's just been a misunderstanding by the general public and the media across the board that these gentlemen weren't speaking on behalf of the church, but as individuals."

Helen Clark increased her security after a member of the Exclusive Brethren accosted her in Parliament before the last election, her staff has said.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister revealed the incident after National accused her of hypocrisy, saying she had criticised opposition MPs for meeting members of the sect while she had done the same herself.

The Government fiercely attacked National MPs for meeting Brethren members after the uproar over their campaign against Labour and the Greens in the last election.

National tried to turn the tables yesterday after the church's spokesman, Tony McCorkell, said Miss Clark had asked for a 2003 Brethren policy document "after meeting Brethren members".

National's deputy leader Bill English said: "Helen Clark's meeting with the Brethren would be part of the normal business of politics if it wasn't for her breathtaking hypocrisy."

But Miss Clark's spokesman said last night there had been no scheduled meetings with Brethren members.

He said: "She was accosted in Parliament's lobby and she decided to increase her security after that, now she is escorted by the DPS (Diplomatic Protection Squad) to stop the Brethren approaching her like that.

"He tried to stop her. He got quite close. At the same time they were ringing the office incessantly demanding a meeting, which obviously never happened."

The spokesman said there had been other times when Brethren members had approached Miss Clark at public meetings.

"There was one occasion in the Nelson area when she found herself surrounded by them. She extricated herself by asking them to send her any documents they had."

A senior member of the Exclusive Brethren Church in New Zealand is under police investigation for allegedly molesting children over four decades, TV One News reported tonight.

The network said that after a six-month investigation it could reveal four women had laid complaints, claiming they were abused by the man when they were aged between five and 10.

The report said the church's Australia-based spokesman, Tony McCorkell, was in New Zealand to investigate the claims himself -- although he was not willing to admit that.

Mr McCorkell arrived on Tuesday, announcing his presence and answering media questions about the latest row over political involvement by Brethren members.

Asked by reporter Ben Tornquist what the church was doing about the sexual abuse allegations, he replied: "I'm not aware of that. If you have evidence of that I'd be glad to see it."

Mr McCorkell said the church would never try to cover up such allegations.

But TV One News said two of the women, former members of the sect, had told church leaders about the abuse at the time it happened and were ignored.

One woman, who was not identified, said in an interview with Tornquist she believed there had been "multiple offenders".

"If I went and asked them now they would try and deny it because in there it's a huge guilt and fear thing," she said.

"A lot of people who perhaps have been involved in that sort of thing would not go outside the church for help."

Tornquist reported that the complainants believed children could have been molested as recently as last year.

He said the women had not known of each other's cases until recently, and came forward following previous TV One reports of sexual abuse.

 Play Video


A senior member of the Exclusive Brethren church is under police investigation after allegedly molesting children over four decades.

After a six-month ONE News investigation, it has been revealed that four women, all former members of the church, laid complaints against the man, claiming they were abused when they were aged between five and 10.

The alleged abuse stretches back decades. The eldest complainant is now 61 years old, and the youngest in her mid 20s.

The church's Australia-based spokesman Tony McCorkell has been in New Zealand this week, reportedly investigating the claims himself, although he has not admitted that this is the purpose of his visit.

"If there is a claim then the church has a moral and a legal, maybe,...obligation to look at it depending on the circumstances, but certainly the church wouldn't seek to cover that situation up," says McCorkell

McCorkell says the Exclusive Brethren takes sexual abuse claims seriously. However, it is understood that two of the women who spoke-out when they were abused were ignored by New Zealand church leaders.

ONE News has been told the current world leader of the sect Bruce Hales also knows, but has failed to act - although McCorkell does not believe Hales is, in fact, aware.

"I think that Exclusive Brethren would deal with it like any other responsible citizen would. I mean the church would abhor any situation where child abuse was covered up," says McCorkell.

McCorkell also says he is not aware that the claims were covered up by leaders in the church.

"I don't have any information to that effect. But if that information comes to light then the church would obviously deal with that," he says.

The four women now live in different parts of the country and were unaware of each other's cases until recently. They came forward following previous revelations on ONE News that the church covered-up sexual abuse over several decades.

"I would say there's multiple offenders. If I went and asked them now they would try and deny it because in there it's a huge fear and guilt thing," says former Exclusive Brethren member known as Philippa.

"Perhaps a lot of people in there who have got this problem and been involved in this sort of thing would not go outside of the church for help".

The Exclusive Brethren says it will not act on rumours and says it wants names so it can deal with the matter.

Police are yet to speak with the accused but suspect many more victims may come forward.

The Government has lashed out at the Australia-based Exclusive Brethren church, accusing it of lying about its involvement in trying to sway the results of elections in New Zealand.

The Labour Party yesterday also challenged assertions by the sect that its politically active members in New Zealand were operating independently from the broader church which has its headquarters across the Tasman.

But Prime Minister Helen Clark is understood to be pleased the group has become more vocal, seeing its comments – including telling The Press it may set up an independent political wing – as boosting the case for campaign funding reforms.

A Brethren spokesman from Queensland, Tony McCorkell, arrived in Auckland on Tuesday saying the sect wanted to distance itself from the New Zealand members involved in a row with the Government.

He said the church had no involvement and he would encourage the men to form an independent wing to carry out their activities, which include plans to campaign against the Government during next year's election.

"It is just extraordinary really," a spokesman for Clark said yesterday.

Justice Minister Mark Burton said efforts by the church to distance itself from the covert activities of New Zealand members "do not stack up".

At the last election, seven Brethren businessman, several of them senior members of the church in New Zealand, were responsible for spending more than $1 million on pamphlets deriding the Government and its allies.

Last week they struck out at Government plans to cap spending on third-party campaigning.

Burton said Kiwis should take the most recent statements by the Brethren "with more than a few grains of salt".

"On the one hand they're arguing that they didn't know what New Zealand members were doing, yet on the other hand they're supporting attacks by local members on proposed reform of electoral finance rules.

"New Zealanders should be wary of these attempts to set the groundwork for more covert action in the lead-up to the 2008 election."

Burton said the Government's planned changes to electoral funding rules aimed to create a fair, transparent and open system which would fully expose party funding and support.

"It is vital that all New Zealanders know who is involved in our politics and have a fair opportunity to participate in the democratic process."

Labour Party president Mike Williams yesterday said the Australian Brethren leadership was not telling the truth about involvement here.

He said that in 2005 election telephone canvassing and polling was carried out from schools owned by the Brethren, in some cases by pupils.

Prime Minister Helen Clark has denied she ever formally met with the Exclusive Brethren.

The church sent its official spokesman Tony McCorkell from Australia to New Zealand, where he has attempted to distance the sect from seven members who had behind the scenes involvement in the last election, funding a leaflet campaign critical of National's opponents.

McCorkell says in the past the Brethren have gone to government to represent policies they favour and he believes it will continue.

He is unhappy the religion of the seven men who campaigned against the government at the last election was made into an issue.

McCorkell says they came out as a group of concerned taxpayers but have got into trouble simply because they did not say what Church they belonged to.

Prime Minister Helen Clark has been strident in her criticism of the Church since the 2005 election.

But McCorkell says Clark actually met with Brethren members in 2003 and requested a copy of one of their strategy documents after that meeting.

The document in question is the one released by Labour Party President Mike Williams on Wednesday where he claimed it was evidence the Brethren businessmen were acting for the church, not as individuals.

However, a spokesman for the Prime Minister is adamant there were never ever any formal meetings between Clark and the Exclusive Brethren. He says members of the church approached Clark on two occasions around 2004 - once in Nelson and the other at Parliament.

McCorkell says he has clarified the church's position on statements with the seven members, and says the men have assured him they will not speak on behalf of the Exclusive Brethren again.

Extract:

The Prime Minister denies she ever formally met with the Exclusive Brethren.

The church has sent its official spokesman Tony McCorkell from Australia to New Zealand, where he has attempted to distance the sect from seven members who had behind the scenes involvement in the last election, funding a leaflet campaign critical of National's opponents.

Mr McCorkell claims Helen Clark met with Exclusive Brethren members in 2003 and requested a copy of a strategy document after the meeting. The document was released by Labour Party President Mike Williams yesterday. He claims it is evidence the seven Exclusive Brethren businessmen were acting for the church, not as individuals.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister is adamant there were never ever any formal meetings between Helen Clark and the Exclusive Brethren. He says members of the church approached Miss Clark on two occasions around 2004; once in Nelson and the other at Parliament.

The political bogey at the moment is undoubtedly the Exclusive Brethren, that religious sect that does not even vote and in fact by its own admission is unworldly, shunning radio, telly and even newspapers which it sees as evil.

It is easy to identify a car belonging to the sect, the dashboard has a gaping hole in it which used to house a radio. Their places or worship resemble a windowless power sub station.

Even though they eschew power they have got plenty of it in this place, even though no one wants anything to do with them. They are clearly anti-Labour which they got at through a pamphlet attacking the socks and sandal wearing Greens during the last election.

They would prefer a centre right government but the Tories want nothing do do with them either essentially because they have been so politically tainted. The mistake The Brethren made was to circulate anti-Green pamphlets without putting their names to them. But is that any worse than the anti abortionists circulating their pamphlets without acknowledging the Catholic Church?

A breathless Labour Party president's minder delivered to the press gallery what she says was proof that the church and not a group of individuals was behind the pamphleteering at the last election. Mike Williams produced a church document that was written in 2003 and bore the names of a couple of the million dollar pamphlet men as proof or the church's involvement.

It was telling its members how to lobby MPs to affect change in policy, like patching up our differences with Uncle Sam, encouraging immigration to make the country more prosperous and to increase the old age pension.

The document simply reflects the aspirations of many, but it also espouses a totally unrealistic expectation. It tells us the Brethren take a special interest in Government as being of God.

Perhaps it is time they tuned into the radio, watched telly or started reading the newspapers!

The Labour Party has released lobbying papers from the Exclusive Brethren that it says throw doubt on the church's claims its members are acting as individuals.

The Brethren's official Australasian spokesperson this week distanced the church from statements from members about election law reform.

But Labour's president, Mike Williams, says the 2003 papers show the members are acting as spokespeople for the church.

He says the same group which organised a campaign against the Labour and Green parties before the last election were speaking on behalf of the Brethren three years before.

Senior members of the Exclusive Brethren are considering setting up a separate, official group to front political campaigns.

The group, including high-ranking church leaders, funded a $1 million pamphlet campaign against National's opponents at the last election, and more recently lashed out at Government plans to effectively ban third-party campaigning of that nature.

Their comments prompted Exclusive Brethren world leader Bruce Hales to send spokesman Tony McCorkell to New Zealand this week to discuss the impact of their actions on the church. The seven men and Exclusive Brethren deny their comments are sanctioned by the church and say they are speaking as private taxpayers.

But the Government has been critical of attempts by the church to distance itself from the group.

Labour Party president Mike Williams said yesterday the men were up front about their church connections when they lobbied MPs in 2003.

Mr Williams released a lobby paper, "Suggested Initiatives For Prosperity in New Zealand", from six members of the church, including two members of the current group of seven, which outlined church principles.

Among the paper's suggested initiatives for defence was to "alter" New Zealand's nuclear free policy "to allow US Navy visits", and to apologise for opposing the Iraq war "and anti-American attitude".

Following discussions with Mr McCorkell yesterday, Neville Simmons, a senior church figure and one of the seven men, indicated the group would have more to say in the lead-up to next year's election.

"We'll pick our issues. We'd like to be able to comment on topical issues as they arise and there will be things we may have a particular interest in, such as health, and we may want to put out a statement or a policy on that."

Mr McCorkell said the group had made it clear they would not mention the church when commenting on politics. "One of the things we discussed in fair detail was how they might go forward in a way that is separate from their church affiliations. The idea of a separate entity was raised."

Mr Simmons said the separate group was "quite an exciting idea" but the men would have to seek professional advice.

"We've always been quite a loose grouping and the thought of having a body or forum that we can speak on behalf of, we think has got a lot of merit. There's the mechanics of it to work through. I wouldn't say we've arrived on a decision on that but we're certainly looking at that closely."

Mr McCorkell said the men also wanted to "reserve the right" for other church members to endorse their views "and that would not be frowned upon".

"Of course there is no issue with that, the church is neither here nor there on that." They had discussed the group's plans to get further involved in politics.

"I think it's going to be an issue by issue basis. This group stands for strong morals and good Christian principles so I dare say if something went against what they believed, they would probably have a say."

Extract:

Moves by the Australian Exclusive Brethren to distance itself from the covert activities of New Zealand members in the 2005 election don't stack up, Justice Minister Mark Burton said today.

"The fact is that in Australia Exclusive Brethren have had to answer claims that they used similar tactics to try and sway the outcome of elections on that side of the Tasman.

"New Zealanders should take their comments with more than a few grains of salt. "On the one hand they're arguing that they didn't know what New Zealand members were doing, yet on the other hand they're supporting attacks by local members on proposed reform of electoral finance rules.

"New Zealanders should be wary of these attempts to set the ground work for more covert action in the lead-up to the 2008 election.

"Planned changes to the electoral funding rules aim to create a fair, transparent and open system that New Zealanders can have confidence in.

"What we're now seeing from those who have shown a desire to exercise undue influence in the past is a growing realisation that the next election will be contested in a more accountable and transparent system."

 Play Video


The PR advisor for the Exclusive Brethren has told five of the seven members involved in the 2005 elections leaflet drops that they needed to distance themselves from the church if they wanted to meddle in politics.

Tony McCorkell, told the five that their activities should be undertaken as concerned citizens rather than senior leaders of the church.

He said the church had no opinion one way or the other as to their activities, but advised them to proceed independently if they wanted to pursue further political action.

Extract:

Their spokesman Neville Simmons said the seven were considering launching another campaign at next year's election when Prime Minister Helen Clark will be seeking a fourth three-year term in office.

The main opposition conservative National Party says the Brethren's intervention had been a huge handicap to its election prospects in 2005.

Deputy leader Bill English said last week: 'They're people whose stupidity is beyond estimation, really. We don't want anything to with them.'

The Exclusive Brethren claim 7,500 members in New Zealand but only 2,316 chose it when giving their religious affiliation at a national census last year.

Extract:

The Exclusive Brethren say they are being being treated as a whipping boy by the Labour Party which is planning a major clampdown on election campaigning by third parties.

The church was vilified for its anti-government campaign last election and its Australia-based spokesman is now in New Zealand to advise members how to run campaigns without damaging the group's reputation.

Tony McCorkell offers advice similar to public relations training which he calls a razzle up of the boys.

"That's an Aussie term...I'm going to try to get together with a few of them and have a yarn about how their actions might impact the rest of the church and how we can move forward without the church being embroiled in another situation like it did in '05," says McCorkell.

The religious group caused a headache for Labour and embarrassed the National Party at the last election with its million dollar anti-government campaign and now the government wants to clamp down on that kind of third party advertising.

"It's really about providing a level playing field and that's very much the Kiwi way of doing things," says Justice Minister Mark Burton.

But the government could hit a snag because the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act says everyone has the right to freedom of expression, to voice opinion of any kind, in any form.

However the government has support to try to limit the Exclusive Brethren's activities.

"This was a covert sneaky illegal action they were engaged in, by a political party that doesn't vote," says New Zealand First leader Winston Peters.

Extract:

... Labour’s alleged proposals for campaign expenditure reform hang on the supposedly malevolent interference of the Exclusive Brethren among the worldly, and the loose collection of millionaires who once tried to install Act in government without noticeable success.

Hindsight has one of the Exclusive Brethren businessmen behind a controversial leaflet campaign at the last election saying he might do things differently now.

Neville Simmons maintains the group's 2005 campaign was never anonymous, and was appropriately authorised.

It has been condemned by Labour and the Greens, and was the catalyst for controversial proposed electoral reforms.

Neville Simmons feels their approach was effective although they could have done things better, and might go about it in a different way if they had their time again. He says he and his colleagues are still discussing whether they will be involved in next year's election and have not yet reached a decision.

Extract:

The seven Exclusive Brethren members who were considering waging another campaign against the Government at the next election were not acting on instruction from the church ...

The group was dubbed "the secret seven" for its initially covert pamphlet campaign against Labour and the Greens in 2005.

The group has spoken out about the Government's plans to reform electoral laws.

It is understood that under the proposed changes the cost of "third-party" campaigns would be capped at $60,000 – far below the $1.2 million believed to have been spent by the seven Brethren members.

One of the seven, Neville Simmons, said recently the group was considering another campaign against the Government next year and wanted to preserve the right of third parties to have their voices heard.

Whether the group mounted another campaign depended on the will of the seven individuals but it was "under consideration," he said.

Extract:

The Exclusive Brethren have said a group of their members considering waging an election campaign against the Government are acting independently of the church.

[The Exclusive Brethren] said the group - dubbed "the secret seven" for its covert pamphlet campaign against Labour and the Greens in 2005 - are not acting on instruction from the church.

One of the seven, Neville Simmons, said recently the group was considering another campaign against the Government next year and wanted to preserve the right of third parties to have their voices heard.

Whether the group mounted another campaign depended on the will of the seven individuals but it was "under consideration," he said.

"... the seven men were businessmen rather than church leaders".

"The seven men aren't acting on behalf of the church and certainly aren't acting on any instructions from Australia or from New Zealand or from anybody in the church.

"They're a group of concerned businessmen, family men, taxpayers that are having their voice and the church hasn't been involved in that.

Mr Simmons maintains the group's 2005 campaign was never anonymous, and was appropriately authorised.

He said the approach was effective although they could have done things better, and might go about it in a different way if they had their time again.

He and his colleagues are still discussing whether they will be involved in next year's election and have not yet reached a decision.

The group has spoken out about the Government's plans to reform electoral laws.

It is understood that under the proposed changes the cost of "third-party" campaigns would be capped at $60,000 -- far below the $1.2 million believed to have been spent by the seven Brethren members.

Extract:

The Government is preparing legislation to revamp election spending rules after controversies following the 2005 general election over inappropriate use of taxpayer funds, third party support and secret donations.

No formal proposals have been released, but informal ones included tightening the rules around anonymous donations and third party campaigns.

It is understood that under the proposed changes the cost of third-party campaigns would be capped at $60,000. The Government and Greens were outraged at the last election when the Exclusive Brethren put out pamphlets smearing the two parties in a million-dollar campaign.

Speaking on TVNZ’s Agenda programme on Saturday, Mr Burton said he would not be worried if the statefunding proposal was dropped.

“We’ve got to put together a package that can enjoy significant support in order to progress, whether or not it includes state funding is of not great consequence compared to the overarching rationale for this package, that is open, transparent, fair electoral process,” he said.

Mr Burton said the main goal was to prevent a repeat of the “sort of hidden transactions that characterised the 2005 election by the Exclusive Brethren”.

Meanwhile, seven senior members of the Exclusive Brethren church are considering waging another campaign against the Government at the next election.

The group is also against the proposals, saying the Government was trying to rewrite electoral laws to suit itself.

Extract:

Party funding has been a controversial issue, following Labour's overspending and revelations of National's links to the Exclusive Brethren at the last election.

Extract:

Mr Burton said the main goal was to prevent a repeat of the "sort of hidden transactions that characterised the 2005 election by the Exclusive Brethren".

A former member of the Exclusive Brethren was sentenced yesterday to another year in prison.

The Herald can now reveal that Lindsay Ronald Jensen had committed sexual offences against two young girls who were also members of the Brethren when he was in a position of trust towards the girls.

The Exclusive Brethren had initially investigated complaints from the girls, aged nine and 12, and had excluded the Jensen family from the community.

But attempts were made to discredit the older girl, and the Brethren hierarchy dismissed the complaint and temporarily readmitted the Jensens.

The older girl saw Jensen at her school and raised the alarm there, sparking a police investigation.

When Jensen, 49, was charged in 2003, he and his wife were again excluded from the church.

His wife, Jenny, yesterday told Penrith District Court this meant they could have no contact with their family or friends, who were all members of the group.

Despite that, she described the Brethren as "a very caring community", who had supported her for many years in raising her disabled daughter.

Mrs Jensen told the court their 22-year-old daughter had returned to the church, where she has formed a relationship.

"Once every few weeks I might speak to her very briefly on the phone," she said.

"But I don't get to see her."

She said the exclusion from the Brethren applied to its communities worldwide.

Judge William Knight expressed his sympathy for Mrs Jensen's plight of having to choose between her husband of 25 years and her church.

Jensen had already been sentenced in January to at least three years' jail for his more serious offences.

Yesterday the judge added another year to his sentence for three counts of aggravated indecent assault, making him eligible for parole in December 2010.

Extracts: (bold added)

Labour is also proposing to include attack advertising within the new controls. That would cover the sort of advertising produced by the Exclusive Brethren in support of National last election but which did not specifically mention National.

The group of seven businessmen who designed a $1.2 million campaign have not yet decided whether to campaign in next year's election but one of them, Neville Simmons, told National Radio yesterday to "watch this space".

Mr Simmons said that his group had "never ever come out and backed National".

But emails to the then Chief Electoral Officer, David Henry, released under the Official Information Act, indicate their support was specifically for National: "We have put together an election programme with a budget of about $1.2 million with the goal of getting party votes for National.

"Our programme involves extensive publications throughout New Zealand with a theme showing and demonstrating mistrust in the current Government and building trust in a Brash-led National Government. We write seeking clarification and direction re the election funding issue, specifically that anything we do does not compromise National's funding position."

Mr Burton said one needed to look no further than the 2005 campaign to see how unlimited third party campaigning could be abused. The more protest he heard from groups like the Exclusive Brethren "the more we know we are on the right track".

Mr English described the Exclusive Brethren this week as "people whose stupidity is beyond estimation".

Extract:

"What the reforms will do is create a level playing field for all those involved in the electoral process and, critically, they will ensure the public know who they are.

"A system where the expenditure of political parties is capped, while third parties can campaign without limit is open to abuse and unfortunately we only have to look at the 2005 election to see evidence of this.

"The ominous signs out of the Exclusive Brethren this week show that prompt reform of the electoral funding system is vital. The more protests we hear from groups like them, the more we know we're on the right track."

Wellington - Leaders of the Exclusive Brethren religious sect in New Zealand - whose members do not vote because they say God chooses rulers - said Friday they are considering waging another campaign against the Labour Party-led government at next year's general election.

Although the Brethren forbids its members from listening to the radio for fear they would be 'defiled,' one of them told Radio New Zealand in an interview that they opposed Labour's moves to restrict the activities and financial contributions of third parties in election campaigns.

This followed the estimated expenditure of 1.2 million New Zealand dollars (nearly 880,000 US dollars) by a group of seven Brethren leaders attacking Labour and the Green Party at the last election in 2005.

The campaign was launched covertly but the seven Brethren, who opposed Labour's move to legalize civil unions for homosexuals, were eventually forced into the open.

The seven emerged again this week with a statement condemning the government's proposals to limit third-party involvement in elections as 'arrogant, desperate and hypocritical.'

'We are very anxious to preserve the ability to be able to comment in the coming election,' the group's spokesman, Neville Simmons, told Radio New Zealand.

'We think they are really bullying the critics into silence and so you can't even spend your own money to have a voice. That's what we are concerned about,' he said.

Simmons said the seven had not yet decided to mount another campaign next year, but added, 'It's under consideration, so watch this space.'

National deputy leader Bill English said the Brethren campaign had been a 'huge handicap' to his party.

'They're people whose stupidity is beyond estimation, really,' he told the New Zealand Herald. 'We don't want anything to with them.'

The Exclusive Brethren claims 7,500 members in New Zealand but only 2,316 nominated it when giving their religious affiliation at a national census last year.

New Zealand is not the only country where the non-voting and secretive Exclusive Brethren have launched covert political campaigns to promote their conservative brand of Christianity.

They have also been involved in elections in the United States, Canada, Australia and Sweden.

Extract:

The Church ran a controversial $1.2 million campaign against Labour and the Greens before the last election.

But Brethren spokesperson, Neville Simmons, says the Government is attempting to bully its critics into silence with plans to limit third-party campaigning.

He says the Church learned a lot during the last election and is now looking at what its strategy will be, if it chooses to get involved in the 2008 election.

Extract:

Mr Simmons says the church is not afraid of law reform aimed at making campaigns more transparent.

He says the church learned a lot during the last election and is now looking at what its strategy will be, if it chooses to get involved in the 2008 election.

Seven senior members of the Exclusive Brethren church are considering waging another campaign against the Government at the next election.

The group, dubbed "the secret seven" for their initially covert pamphlet campaign against Labour and the Greens in 2005, have spoken out in recent days about the Government's plans to reform electoral laws.

It is understood that under the proposed changes the cost of "third-party" campaigns would be capped at $60,000 – far below the $1.2 million believed to have been spent by the Brethren.

One of the seven men, Neville Simmons, today said the group were considering another campaign against the Government next year and wanted to preserve the right of third parties to have their voices heard.

"We are very anxious to preserve the ability to be able to comment in the coming election. That's why we are very anxious about these proposals for law reform," he said today on Radio New Zealand.

"We think they are really bullying the critics into silence and so you can't even spend your own money to have a voice. That's what we are concerned about."