Key facts
- The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church denied paying far-right influencers to stage election stunts targeting politicians.
- The church also denied coordinating volunteers to support Liberal candidates.
- A church director stated the church did not make donations or provide support to political parties or third parties.
- Some church members volunteered for personal reasons and reported facing aggressive questioning and verbal abuse.
- An electoral matters committee report identified the Brethren church as a third party impacting democracy.
- Coalition politicians accused the Labor party of targeting the church and people of faith.
The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church has vehemently denied allegations that it secretly paid far-right influencers to disrupt political campaigns and support specific candidates during the 2025 election. Reports suggested the church funded stunts targeting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and coordinated volunteers for Liberal candidates.
Lloyd Grimshaw, a director of the church, dismissed the claims as a "complete lie" during a parliamentary inquiry. He stated that the church did not make any donations or provide support to political parties or third parties involved in the election. Grimshaw criticized the reporting for lacking specific evidence of financial transactions, quotes, or communications between the church and political entities.
Grimshaw acknowledged that some church members did volunteer during the election but asserted their actions were independent and for personal reasons, such as supporting local candidates or concerns about the economy. He also noted that some members reported facing "aggressive questioning" and "verbal abuse" at polling booths due to their religious affiliation.
The interim report from the electoral matters committee identified the Brethren church as one of several third parties whose activities were "under assault" on democracy. The committee recommended a new code of conduct for campaigners. However, Coalition members accused the Labor party of using the inquiry as a "hyper-partisan witch-hunt" against the church and people of faith.
Nationals leader Matt Canavan criticized the inquiry, stating it was an attempt to apply collective guilt to individuals based on their religious faith and that the Labor party was "launching a war" against those who engage in politics.