Church and Lobby Group Face Potential Summons Over Election Involvement

A parliamentary committee investigating third-party involvement in the 2025 Australian federal election has stated it may issue summonses to the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church and the lobby group Advance.

This follows the emergence of leaked materials suggesting the church's leadership coordinated its members' volunteering for the Liberal-National Coalition campaign.

Leaked Materials and Coordination

Leaked videos and documents indicate that high-ranking members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church coached volunteers on their conduct during the 2024 federal election campaign, according to one source.

The materials reportedly show a centralized campaign coordinated by church leadership, including Bruce Hales, the church's world leader.

In a video, senior member Gavin Grace, who was coordinating efforts in the Sydney electorate of Bennelong, provided instructions on how to respond to questions about the church. Volunteers were instructed to avoid disclosing their religious affiliation and to present themselves as concerned citizens volunteering for local candidates.

A document used by volunteers includes the directives: "LOYALTY is paramount" and "CONFIDENTIALITY is mandatory."

The evidence has been submitted to the federal parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, which is investigating the church's activities.

Background on Church Activity

Multiple members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (formerly known as the Exclusive Brethren) flooded polling booths during the 2025 election campaign. The church is registered as a charity and is therefore prohibited from engaging in partisan political activity. If found to have coordinated the pro-Coalition effort, it risks losing its tax-exempt status.

In a submission to the parliamentary inquiry, the church stated that while many parishioners were active in the campaign, the church did not participate in or coordinate their involvement. The Brethren has denied coordinating the movement of its members, stating they were individually motivated to support the Coalition.

The church is not registered as a significant third party for electoral purposes. Its members declared $700,000 in donations to Advance. Advance was the highest-spending third-party campaigner in the election, raising over $13 million and running advertisements against the Greens and Labor.

Committee Hearing and Potential Summons

The parliamentary committee investigating the 2025 federal election has stated it may issue summonses to the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church and Advance. The committee chair, Jerome Laxale, described the move as an extraordinary but necessary step, as both groups have declined invitations to hearings scheduled for November 2025, and March and May 2026.

The committee has received over 75 submissions mentioning the church's involvement across approximately 80 different suburbs in federal electorates.

A summons to appear before the committee can be ignored, but doing so may lead to contempt of parliament charges. Potential penalties include a formal reprimand, a fine, or imprisonment.

In 2018, the High Court ruled against Retail Food Group executives who challenged a parliamentary committee summons, establishing the committee's constitutional power to compel witnesses.

Chair Laxale stated: "The committee acknowledges that this is an extraordinary step, but one it believes necessary."

He added: "Given the volume of submissions ... it is not just in the committee's interest, but Australia's interest, to understand the involvement of both of these third parties in the 2025 federal election."

The Brethren and Advance have been approached for comment regarding the potential summons.