Brethren detectives inquiry - 20 November 2006
"The private detectives hired by Exclusive Brethren members to tail Prime Minister Helen Clark are still being investigated by their professional body, with any findings likely to be months away.
A three-member ethics committee of the New Zealand Institute of Professional Investigators is looking into the actions of Auckland investigator Lew Proctor and Wayne Idour, from Dunedin.
The men have confirmed they were hired by Exclusive Brethren members to delve into the lives of Labour MPs."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3866443a11,00.htmlExclusive Brethren says reputation brought into disrepute - 08 Nov 2006
The Exclusive Brethren has told Parliament that attacks by Labour MPs have brought its reputation into disrepute.
The Speaker has allowed them to respond to comments made by Jill Pettis and Phil Goff, and have it entered into parliament's records.
Jill Pettis had told Parliament that the religious group was not concerned about morality - only power, influence and money.
On one occasion Mr Goff described the group as 'clandestine' and 'extremist'.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/latest/200611081606/exclusive_brethren_says_reputation_brought_into_disreputeCullen lashes Brethren and National - 30 October 2006
Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen has accused the Exclusive Brethren of trying to "capture a nation by stealth" and says the National Party should come clean about its connection with the sect.
Dr Cullen closed Labour's annual conference in Rotorua yesterday with an attack on the Brethren and scathing criticism of National's leadership.
He described the sect, which ran an initially covert pro-National campaign at the last election, as "a small, unrepresentative, intolerant, self-confessed exclusive group". As long as they left others alone and did not impose their views, they should not concern anyone, he said.
"But one can't ignore a group which deliberately published lies about both Labour and the Greens," he said.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3843611a6160,00.htmlAnd this is from back in 2005, back here in the US.
Veiled sect hails Bush, Martinez
A mysterious committee backed by members of a secretive religious group whose members are forbidden to vote spent more than $500,000 on newspaper ads last year supporting President Bush and U.S. Senate candidate Mel Martinez.
The Thanksgiving 2004 Committee raised the money from residents of 18 states, plus $377,262 from Bruce Hazell of London, England. None of the money was raised in Florida, according to a report filed with the Federal Elections Commission.
The group of men who formed the committee belong to the Exclusive Brethren, a reclusive religious group with roots in England and Australia. The group includes members from Knoxville, Tenn., Omaha, Neb., and other U.S. cities. Members of the Exclusive Brethren do not vote, read newspapers, watch television or participate in the outside world, according to published reports. So why would they care who gets elected in the United States?
That's hard to say and members contacted by the St. Petersburg Times wouldn't say anything except to praise President Bush and say they wanted to see him re-elected.
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/01/18/State/Veiled_sect_hails_Bus.shtmlI wish there was something we could do to help the People of New Zealand. Any ideas?