Brethren church accused of paying far-right activists to disrupt 2025 federal election

Consensus Summary

A coordinated campaign by the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (formerly the Exclusive Brethren) to disrupt the 2025 federal election through far-right activists has become the focus of a parliamentary inquiry. Investigations by The Age, SMH, and ABC reveal allegations that the church secretly paid influencers—including Laurence McIntyre, who heckled Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the first day of the campaign—to stage stunts targeting Labor, Greens, and independent candidates. The stunts, which included tracking Albanese’s plane and feeding 'private intel' on his location to far-right figures, were filmed and disseminated across right-wing media, amplifying anti-immigration messages. The Brethren church denies any involvement, with director Lloyd Grimshaw calling the allegations a 'complete lie' and insisting members acted independently.

The campaign appears to have begun in early 2025, with a group of 'concerned Christian businessmen' within the Brethren hierarchy coordinating with fringe figures like Barclay McGain, Morgan C Jonas, and Chris De Bruyne (Chriscoveries). Meetings were held at a Sydney golf club on April 1, 2025, under the name of the Brethren company Sante Global, and payments—described by sources as a 'duffel bag of cash'—were made to activists in discreet locations. The operation targeted not only Albanese but also Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Greens MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown, and teal donors like Simon Holmes à Court. Some stunts, such as a neo-Nazi flyer hoax, were not directly funded by the Brethren but were shared by figures linked to the campaign, blurring the lines of involvement.

Key figures in the scandal have offered conflicting accounts. McIntyre, who heckled Albanese, claimed he had never heard of the Brethren despite being included in their communications, while McGain admitted passing footage of his stunts to De Bruyne but denied being paid. De Bruyne, whose wife endorsed Brethren-linked posters, did not respond to requests for comment. Meanwhile, Lloyd Grimshaw testified before the inquiry that the church had no role in the stunts, framing the allegations as an attack on religious volunteers who faced harassment at polling booths. Independent MP Monique Ryan, who won the Melbourne seat of Kooyong, described Brethren canvassers as wearing uniforms and repeating a scripted phrase, suggesting a higher level of coordination than the church admits.

The reporting diverges sharply on the extent of the Brethren’s financial and operational involvement. While The Age and SMH describe a multimillion-dollar campaign with encrypted communications and cash payments, the Brethren church has provided no financial records to support these claims. The Guardian and ABC focus more on the church’s denial and the political fallout, with Nationals leader Matt Canavan accusing Labor of waging a 'war' against people of faith. The Australian Electoral Commission is investigating non-compliant Brethren-linked posters, though the church has not directly addressed this. Meanwhile, sources within the Brethren suggest the group is shifting its allegiance to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, indicating the influence machine may not be finished in Australian politics.

The parliamentary inquiry is expected to examine the Brethren’s role further, with Grimshaw’s testimony marking a key moment. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has called for a line to be drawn on election intimidation, while former Deputy PM Michael McCormack noted that union harassment of Coalition politicians is also a long-standing issue. The unresolved question remains whether the Brethren’s involvement was a one-off operation or part of a broader strategy to shape political outcomes. With the church denying any wrongdoing and sources alleging a well-funded, coordinated effort, the inquiry’s findings could have significant implications for campaign finance laws and the role of religious groups in Australian politics.