Howard attacked for links to secret Christian sect the Brethren
  By Kathy Marks in Sydney
  Published: 23 August 2007

  They describe themselves as "a Christian fellowship based on the Holy 
Scriptures", but others call them a sect, and they have meddled in 
elections in New Zealand and Australia.

  So when the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, admitted that he 
had recently met leaders of the ultra-conservative Exclusive Brethren, 
his critics smelt something unsavoury. The group, an offshoot of the 
Plymouth Brethren, with followers in Australia, New Zealand, Britain 
and the US, enforces a policy of separation, including from other 
Christians. Children are educated in Brethren-run schools; adults work 
in Brethren-owned companies. Brethren eat, drink and socialise only 
with other Brethren. Television, mobile phones and computers are 
banned.

But although members are also forbidden to vote, the group tries to 
mould the political landscape. Australian Federal Police are 
investigating expenditure of A$370,000 (£150,000) on advertisements 
supporting the Howard government by a company owned by Mark Mackenzie, 
a senior Breth-ren member, before the last election in 2004.

During the last election in New Zealand, in 2005, the Brethren spent an 
estimated A$100,000 on pamphlets attacking the social policies of the 
governing Labour Party and the Greens. The former leader of the 
conservative National Party, Don Brash, later admitted meeting Brethren 
leaders during the campaign, and said he knew about the pamphlets.

Last year, the New Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark, accused the 
group of spreading rumours that her husband, Peter Davis, was 
homosexual. She said they had hired a private investigator to follow Mr 
Davis. It was later confirmed that the Brethren did recruit a private 
detective to investigate Labour politicians. Now an election is due in 
Australia before the end of the year, and polls suggest that Mr 
Howard's chances of winning a fifth term for his right-wing 
Liberal-National Party coalition are slim.

But yesterday he defended his meeting two weeks ago with Brethren 
elders, including Mr Mackenzie, and the group's world leader, or "Elect 
Vessel", Bruce Hales, in his Sydney electoral office.

"I do not deny for a moment that I have met with members of the 
Exclusive Brethren, and why not?" Mr Howard said. "They're Australian 
citizens. It's a lawful organisation." Asked about political funding, 
he told ABC radio: "As to matters relating to financial support, 
they're things that you should talk to the Liberal Party organisation 
about."

A Brethren spokesman told local media that the elders had merely 
assured the Prime Minister that they were praying for him.

Two other members of the Government, the Treasurer, Peter Costello, and 
the Health minister, Tony Abbott, said they had also met Brethren 
members. "I have no reason to think they are not people of decency and 
goodwill," said Mr Abbott, who is a conservative Roman Catholic.

But the opposition leader, Kevin Rudd, described the Brethren as "an 
extremist cult and sect... [that] breaks up families". The group has 
also been accused of trying to cover up sexual abuse by a Brethren 
elder.
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