Matthew Denholm The Australian
ANTI-GREENS election advertisements authorised by members of the secretive Exclusive Brethren religious sect have been billed to Liberal Party accounts. Detailed invoices from three newspapers that published ads authorised by Brethren member Roger Unwin during last year’s Tasmanian election, list the Liberal Party as the client.
It also appears that anti-Greens ads authorised by at least two other Brethren members were billed to the same accounts held on behalf of the Liberal Party by Hobart advertising agency Master Advertising. However, both the company, run by former Liberal candidate Chris Guesdon, and Liberal state director Damien Mantach said yesterday that invoicing the advertisements to Liberal accounts was due to an administrative bungle.
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What Martine Delaney says
What Rodney Croome says
Tasmanian Times
Margaretta Pos and Wes Young break the story:
Exclusive attack on the Greens
Hidding and his Brethren
phill Parsons
January 25, 2007 at 13:09
Whilst it is hard to believe that a major political party of the standing and membership of the Liberal party would make such a mistake if my memory serves me correctly the leader of the NZ Nationals had to resign over close ties with the Exclusive Bretheren Sect.
If the Liberals were involved in such as scam, and the evidence appears to hinge on the behaviour of the accounts department of master Advertising, then the Tasmania branch must have fallen into the hands of another sect as appears to be the fate of other state branches of that party e.g. NSW.
Not only is politics love and war combined the potential of power drives another absolute and this mud has, for me, stuck to some of that party.
One hopes that any party that wishes to appear squeaky next time, will use an advertising agency that excludes other clients for the campaign.
Nigel Crisp
January 26, 2007 at 11:22
The Tasmanian newspapers are strangely quiet on this one. I mean they could answer this themselves without lifting a finger.
Matthew Denholm’s story only talks about invoices being billed to the Liberals, which in my book isn’t the same as who actually paid for it.
It’s already been pointed out by Martine Delaney the coincidence that allowed several Tas. newspapers to all make the same invoicing mistake.
Common sense would dictate that verifying who paid for what would be a simple matter.
Garry Bailey is quick to tell us when things are in the public interest, and in light of recent experiences in NZ I’d say they most definately are here now.