Eric Abetz tells Bob Brown …

Brown called on to remove vindictive motion from Senate Notice Paper

Senator Eric Abetz today called on the Australian Greens leader, Senator Bob Brown, to withdraw his vindictive and un-Australian motion vilifying and intimidating the minority religious group, the Exclusive Brethren. (See motion below).

“When a leader of a political party in Australia starts scapegoating a lawful religious minority the warning bells of history should be ringing loud and clear in the mind of every Australian” Senator Abetz said.

“This motion proves that once you remove the Green overcoat, there is a Brown shirt lurking underneath.”

“Senator Brown’s additional public call for every Exclusive Brethren business to be put on a public register is contrary to the most basic and fundamental principles of human rights.

“This is akin to requiring all Green party members to wear the ‘green triangle’ on their arm at all times and be placed on a public register.

“I would have thought that Greens supporters would have been horrified by this suggestion and Senator Brown’s motion.”

“This motion is contrary to every principle for which the Australian Senate was established. The Senate should not be used as a Star Chamber by a vindictive Senator seeking to persecute a religious minority against whom there is no hint or allegation of illegality”

Senator Abetz said that the motion was in conflict with s116 of the Australian Constitution which relates to freedom of religion.

“Our founding fathers in drafting the Constitution, and the Australian people in endorsing it, have made perfectly clear that this sort of religious discrimination will not be tolerated.

“Senator Brown should do the decent thing — withdraw the motion and publicly apologise to the Australian people and to the Senate for this extreme and obnoxious vilification of this minority group.”

The Motion:

Notice given 9 May 2006

2 Leader of the Australian Greens (Senator Bob Brown): To move—That the
following matters be referred to the Community Affairs References Committee for
inquiry and report by 8 August 2006:

The role of the religious organisation Exclusive Brethren in:
(a) family breakdown and psychological and emotional effects related to the
practice of excommunication or other practices;
(b) Australian politics and political activities, including donations to political
parties or other political entities and funding specific advertising
campaigns;
(c) the receipt of funding from the Federal Government or other political
entities;
(d) taxation and other special arrangements or exemptions from Australian law
that relate to Exclusive Brethren businesses;
(e) special arrangements and exemptions from Australian law that relate to
Exclusive Brethren schools, military service and voting; and
(f) any related matters.