The Age (November 19) reports that Prime Minister JohnHoward has exchanged letters five times with the Exclusive Brethren since 2003, but after 14 months of stalling on a simple freedom-of-information request, his office will not release the correspondence until well after election day.
WHY PRIME MINISTER? WHAT IS THERE TO HIDE?
The Prime Minister's office has at long last acknowledged that it has corresponded with the religious sect with which the Prime Minister has had very close contact over many years.
PLEASE, PRIME MINISTER, TELL THE AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC WHAT THE CORRESPONDENCE AND CONTACTS INVOLVE?
Mr Howard was embarrassed in August when The Age revealed he had met Brethren world leader, Bruce Hales, and at least one sect member who is under police investigation over his role in funding pro-Liberal campaign advertisements in the 2004 election.
Greens leader Bob Brown said the Government had once again manipulated the FoI Act to hide information. Mr Brown was told by the Prime Minister's department, in response to his own FoI request in 2005, that "no records of correspondence with persons identifying as representatives of the Exclusive Brethren … were located". The response to The Age reveals that three relevant documents existed.
"I was lied to. That's clear. Straight deception," Senator Brown said. "But I'm used to it with the Government."
SENATOR BROWN, LIKE ALL OTHER AUSTRALIANS, HAS THE RIGHT TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT THIS MATTER.
Read the full report from The Age at:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/federal-election-2007-news/pmbrethren-letters-held-until-after-poll/2007/11/18/1195321608622.html
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