Greenwash Political Action Party and Urban Grassroots Movement for the Green Party

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Who's whacky now?

Finally the secretive Exclusive Brethren have taken the first step out into the public. For weeks they have refused all requests for media comment relating to their foray into the Tasmanian election where they ran a series of anti-Greens ads (see previous crikey).

But on Tuesday 22 March two members of the Brethren wrote a letter to the Examiner newspaper in Tasmanian defending their actions.

They state that "we believe Government to be of god" and for "this reason we respect it" but "their conscience precludes them from voting".

And it is the Greens that are called wacky!

While the letter in the paper denies they are connected or affiliated to any political group "whatsoever", we know that the Liberal party state director did meet with the Exclusive Brethren.

Given the amount of money spent and the wacky nature of the Brethren and its activities, questions need to be answered by the Liberal Party about what was discussed, with whom and when.

And anyone who thinks the Exclusive Brethren are just some harmless church group, should have a listen to last week's Hack program on JJJ (March 15 &16) or http://www.peebs.net/ to hear the horror stories of family break up and misery.

At the 2004 Federal election the Brethren also campaigned against the Greens. In particular they targeted Tasmania and Greens candidate Andrew Wilkie in Bennelong. They worked closely with the Liberals as the Tasmanian Liberal director recently admitted in an interview on ABC radio and is evidenced by their pro-Liberal messaging on this leaflet distributed in Tasmania during the 2004 campaign. Have a look at it here and here.

Very similar leaflets also appeared in New Zealand where with quick work between the Greens across the Tasman we were able to expose the similarities. Take a look at the leaflet here and here.

Bob Brown raised the issue in Senate question time in September 2005 and made this speech in the Senate also.

From Greens candidate Jeremy Buckingham we also know the Brethren was funding anti-Greens work of the National Party in central west NSW during the 2004 federal election.

And take a look at the latest leaflet they distributed thousands of all across Tasmania in the very last days of the State '06 campaign. Click here.

posted by Ben Oquist # 12:00 PM 1 comments