smh.com.au ~ Former members of the Church of Scientology have told a Senate committee of the ''ruthlessness'' of the church and its judicial system, and argued it should not be eligible for tax-free status."Australian taxpayers should not be funding systematic, organized abuse," said Janette Vonthehoff, who said her passport was taken from her and she was forcibly prevented from returning to Australia from the US when eight weeks' pregnant because the organization ordered she must finish training.
A Sydney tax lawyer and social identity, Louise McBride, defended the group and clashed with the independent senator Nick Xenophon during the hearing.
Senator Xenophon accused Ms McBride of being unprofessional for suggesting the committee was making a mockery of the law by considering his private member's bill. The bill seeks a tax-law amendment that would require religious and charitable organizations to meet a public benefit test.
The Scientology New Zealand representative, Mike Feriss, said a charities commission in New Zealand - with a similar public benefit test - had not impacted on Scientology's operation.
But Mr Feriss could not explain why the organisation's income fell from $2.6 million to $374,000 the year after the commission required it to publish financial statements. His first reply, that it was due to the currency exchange rate, was laughed at by the committee.
YouTube: Senate Economics Committee Hearing
Public Benefits Test Ammendment
Anonymous has converted videos of the meeting into "bite-size" sections and posted on YouTube & Vimeo. Link to WWP of list that looks like will be updated as more are produced.
Dr. Stephen Mutch
- Dr. Stephen Mutch (1/5) Scientology and Senator Xenophon's Public Benefit Test Proposal
- Dr. Stephen Mutch (2/5) Scientology and Senator Xenophon's Public Benefit Test Proposal
- Dr. Stephen Mutch (3/5) Scientology and Senator Xenophon's Public Benefit Test Proposal
- Dr. Stephen Mutch (4/5) Scientology and Senator Xenophon's Public Benefit Test Proposal
- Dr. Stephen Mutch (5/5) Scientology and Senator Xenophon's Public Benefit Test Proposal
Roundtable
- Roundtable (1/6) Scientology and Senator Xenophon's Public Benefit Test Proposal
- Roundtable (2/6) Scientology and Senator Xenophon's Public Benefit Test Proposal
- Roundtable (3/6) Scientology and Senator Xenophon's Public Benefit Test Proposal
- Roundtable (4/6) Scientology and Senator Xenophon's Public Benefit Test Proposal
- Roundtable (5/6) Scientology and Senator Xenophon's Public Benefit Test Proposal
- Roundtable (6/6) Scientology and Senator Xenophon's Public Benefit Test Proposal
Church of Scientology
- CoS (1/9) Scientology and Senator Xenophon's Public Benefit Test Proposal
- CoS (2/9) Scientology and Senator Xenophon's Public Benefit Test Proposal
- CoS (3/9) Scientology and Senator Xenophon's Public Benefit Test Proposal
- CoS (4/9) Scientology and Senator Xenophon's Public Benefit Test Proposal
- CoS (5/9) Scientology and Senator Xenophon's Public Benefit Test Proposal
- CoS (6/9) Scientology and Senator Xenophon's Public Benefit Test Proposal
- CoS (7/9) Scientology and Senator Xenophon's Public Benefit Test Proposal
- CoS (8/9) Scientology and Senator Xenophon's Public Benefit Test Proposal
- CoS (9/9) Scientology and Senator Xenophon's Public Benefit Test Proposal
CIFS (Cult Information and Family Support)
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