Church of Scientology Responds to Xenophon in Parliament

February 06, 2010

CANBERRA – The Church of Scientology responded in Parliament yesterday to allegations made by Senator Xenophon in the Senate last November. The Church sought redress under a resolution of the Senate "relating to the protection of persons” who are referred to in Senate proceedings.

The Senate Committee of Privileges tabled its 143rd Report yesterday and resolved that the response from the Church of Scientology Australia to Senator Xenophon's allegations "be incorporated in Hansard in full and without change."

The response states "Senator Xenophon’s statements under Parliamentary privilege were false and unsubstantiated. Had Senator Xenophon sought confirmation of any of the allegations with the Church, we would have provided to him factual documents, including coronial reports, refuting them and endorsements of the Church by numerous community groups and countless individuals, including former members.”

The former members that the Senator relied upon, which number a handful, have publicly supported the cyber-hate group, Anonymous, a group whose members boasted about their unlawful attacks on the Australian Prime Minister’s website earlier this year, and whose members have been prosecuted criminally in the United States for illegal attacks on Church of Scientology websites. Anonymous members throughout the world have committed heinous actions of violence, bombing, hate mail and terrorism. In fact, Aaron Saxton, for whom Senator Xenophon tabled allegations, is one of the ringleaders of Anonymous in Australia and has posted self-made videos inciting people to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Anonymous and “go nuts”.

The Church’s Right of Reply continues: “All of these matters are the subject of documented evidence and sworn witness statements that the Church was prepared to provide to Senator Xenophon had he asked for them. Yet, Senator Xenophon never responded to the Church's request for a meeting with him prior to his parliamentary speech on 17 November 2009.

We regret that this matter has come before the Senate in this manner and seek only to correct the record.”

The Church filed an Annexure to its Right of Reply on 1 February giving specific documentation on these matters which was also passed by the Senate Privileges Committee.

The High Court of Australia recognised Scientology as a religion in a landmark decision in October 1983 that became a benchmark for religions in Australia.

Scientology is an applied religious philosophy that has helped millions of people the world over to lead better lives. And Scientology is expanding like never before. Today, there are more than 8,000 churches, missions and affiliated groups in 165 nations—doubling in number over the last five years. Over the past year, the Church completed the restoration of many landmark buildings and inaugurated seven major new Church buildings - in Malmo (Sweden), Dallas, Nashville (Tennessee), Rome, Washington, DC, Quebec and Brussels with Las Vegas opening this weekend.

Currently, more than 100 volunteers from the Church of Scientology are in Haiti conducting practical disaster relief work to help the earthquake survivors. For more information on Scientology, visit: www.scientology.org.

You can see the full right of reply from the Church of Scientology here:

http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/priv_ctte/
report_143/report.pdf