Senator Xenophon's Strategy

[mate]

Senator Xenothon spells out his strategy.

Sydney Morning Herald

Senator keeps at the faith

JACOB SAULWICK NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

November 20, 2009

IF THE major parties do not agree to an inquiry into Scientology, Nick Xenophon will just keep telling horror stories about the religion until they do.

''I'm going to be a persistent bastard on this,'' the senator told the Herald yesterday, two days after he described Scientology as a criminal organisation under cover of parliamentary privilege and called for an inquiry into the church.

Yesterday the Opposition backed away from the idea of a parliamentary examination of Scientology. The Government is also said to be wary of an inquiry, but is keeping its options open.

Senator Xenophon, however, who has received a flood of correspondence from former church members since levelling his attack, is prepared to keep dripfeeding stories about Scientology into the Senate to eventually prompt an inquiry.

"With all due respect to Senator Xenophon, I do have reservations about whether a Senate inquiry is appropriate and would be inclined not to be supportive,'' the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Nick Minchin, said. ''Any concerns about illegal activity should be referred to the appropriate authorities."

Senator Xenophon's chief of staff, Rohan Wenn, travelled to Sydney yesterday to brief a senior police officer in the organised crime division on allegations made by former church members and tabled in Parliament this week.

''They are taking the matter very seriously,'' Mr Wenn said.

Mr Wenn has also offered to forward details of other former Scientologists to the police.

Senator Xenophon has delayed his notice of motion calling for an inquiry until Monday.

In a statement, the South Australian senator dismissed the idea that parliament was not the proper place to examine Scientology and its claim to tax-free status as a religion.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/senator-keeps-at-the-faith-20091119-ioz5.html

David.

 

[Mystic]

Thanks for the update, mate.

 

[sallydannce]

Thanks mate.

I like this man. He said "persistent bastard".

I like persistent bastards!

 

[scooter]

Nic Xenophon is a very likeable person - because he's REAL.

That means that OSA just can't twist him at all.

And it's our good fortune and, ultimately, theirs too.

 

[Carmel]

For the record, prior to all this becoming public, the more info Sen X got on the CofS the more he wanted.

He is a pollie, yes, but he's also a man, and he's pissed off! He was pissed off before all this became "public", and only on a snippet of the info. And then, with more info, and with the influx of communication since all this became public, he is even more pissed off and determined to get an Inquiry, than he was before!

Let's not get dis-heartened by media reports.......too much is on the table now, to have it swept under the carpet. I have faith that he won't let tis one slide.

 

[Dulloldfart]

Sydney Morning Herald

Senator keeps at the faith

JACOB SAULWICK NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

November 20, 2009

. . .

Senator Xenophon's chief of staff, Rohan Wenn, travelled to Sydney yesterday to brief a senior police officer in the organised crime division on allegations made by former church members and tabled in Parliament this week.

Now we're talking.

Paul

 

[anon2487]

There's gonna be more really important information coming out very very soon, from an extremely credible, formerly high ranking ex. Happy to PM you the info Carmel, if being able to give Senator Xenophon a heads up in advance would be of use.

Also, even if...in the worst case scenario this Inquiry doesn't go ahead, you've given yourself some heavy duty political cover, for the police investigations.

 

[Pooks]

There's gonna be more really information coming out very very soon, from an extremely credible, formerly high ranking ex.

I just can't stop smiling.

You fucking Aussie's are "persistent bastards". I love the lot of you!

 

[anon2487]

There's gonna be more really important information coming out very very soon, from an extremely credible, formerly high ranking ex.

I just can't stop smiling.

Me neither.

You fucking Aussie's are "persistent bastards"...

Yup, the CofS definitely picked the wrong bunch of people to screw with this time, that's for sure.

~

I'm really responding for clarity though, as you quoted me in your post:

I'm not Australian, and I've had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with ANY of what's gone on (though I wish I had.)

Secondly, the person I'm referring to isn't Australian either, but the information they've detailed will be directly relevant to the CofS's operations worldwide.

(Sorry if it comes across as that "I know seekrit stuff" kind of nonsense, as that's just not the case. I'm very much an outsider to it, and whilst the person did say that it was cool for me to discuss it; as they've not yet chosen to release it, I don't see that it's right for me to go jabbering about it, unless there's a real legitimate reason, which obviously the Oz stuff is.)

I'm pretty certain that you already know A LOT more about it than me anyway Pooks.

 

[mate]

To gain a full understanding of Senator Xenothon’s strategy, one needs to have a grasp of the make up of the Australian Senate.

The Australian Labor Party dominates the House of Representatives, the lower house of the Australian Federal Parliament, and as such is the party in power with Kevin Rudd, its leader, being the Prime Minister. However, the Labor Party does not control the Senate.

The Senate consists of:
The Australian Labor Party has 31 Senators
The Liberal National Coalition has 36 Senators
The Greens has 5 Senators
Non-aligned are 3 Senators, which includes Senator Xenothon.

Prime Minister Rudd and his Labor Party needs the support of the Greens and two of the non-aligned Senators, to get legislation through the Senate, and of course, the opposition needs two of the non-aligned Senators to block it.

Senator Xenothon, being a patient man, knows that in time, his support will be desperately sought by either the government or by the opposition. At which point, "horse trading" will occur. Time is on his side. He knows it and the others know it.

David.

 

[byte301]

Well, this is excellent news to me. I've had a knot in my stomach every since Carmel told us they would vote Monday. I thought that might be the end of it if they voted no.

I just love the Aussie 7 and Senator Xenophon! I am so happy he's going to persist on this.

I can probably get some sleep tonight for a change.

 

[anon2487]

There's gonna be more really important information coming out very very soon, from an extremely credible, formerly high ranking ex.

Here you are Pooks, the "mystery's" over, though like I said, you probably knew much more about it than me anyway (the extent of my knowledge was what Larry's posted in the OP) :

http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthread.php?p=334965

 

[mate]

Senator Xenophon's strategy is looking very good with Australia's ABC reporting that:

Senator Xenophon, who detailed allegations of forced abortion and imprisonment from former members, says he does not yet have the numbers for an inquiry, but will not be giving up.

"I will continue to build my case," he said.

"My fellow senators need to know that even if a vote is lost, either now or early next year, there is nothing to stop me from putting up a motion the very next day for another vote on it."

Greens leader Bob Brown, whose party is backing Senator Xenophon's call, described Edward McBride's story as "terrible".

"If the Scientology cult has nothing to hide it won't be concerned about an inquiry," he said.

"There's a much wider issue here of religious conviction and the passage of money, large amounts of money."

In addition to which, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised, if he already ahd support of Senator Fielding, another independent senator representing the Family First political party, as the scientology organisation is anti-family.

It is no longer a case of if, but rather a case of when.

David.

 

[mate]

The following article from the Australian, Australia's national newspaper, gives a very clear basis of the approach being adopted by Senator Xenophon, in his call for a Senate Inquiry. Natasha Bita, the author of this article, was involved in this call for an inquiry right from the beginning with Carmel and Bryan Seymour joined them.

Hilton bombing sect wants tax exemption

by Natasha Bita

From: The Australian

November 23, 2009 12:00AM

AN Indian spiritualist group behind Australia's worst terrorist attack -- the 1978 Hilton Hotel bombing -- is among 17,441 organisations claiming tax exemptions on religious grounds.

Ananda Marga follower Evan Pederick was jailed for 13 years after three people died when he planted a bomb outside the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sydney. At the time, Ananda Marga was conducting a worldwide terror campaign to force the release of its founder, Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar (known to adherents as "Baba") from an Indian jail.

Now the group is one of 109 religions recognised under the Commonwealth Marriage Act, and among the religions claiming tax exemptions through the Australian Taxation Office.

A director of Ananda Marga in Australia, Dada Giridevananda, said the tax office recognised the group as an "income-exempt, non-profit charity".

He said Ananda Marga had "at least several thousand followers" in Australia.

"We share our teachings on religion and we have religious worship services in different centres across the country," Mr Giridevananda said.

"We put out clothing distribution and have schools that help educate people and teach children in a wholistic manner".

Another group claiming religious tax exemption is the Victorian Spiritualists Union, whose website states that it promotes "conditions in the afterlife, clairvoyance, reincarnation, healing, astrology and anything that will bring us to a wider and better understanding of life".

The Church of Scientology, whose status as a tax-exempt religion was questioned in the Senate last week, was recognised as a religion by the High Court in 1983. The tax office recognises 17,441 religious groups -- 10 per cent of all non-profit charitable organisations.

Religions do not have to lodge a tax return, are exempt from payroll tax and can claim a $30,000 rebate on fringe benefits taxes for staff. The tax office defines a religion as a group that "believes in a supernatural being, thing or principle", and which accepts "canons of conduct that give effect to that belief, but do not offend against the ordinary laws".

The Australian Bureau of Statistics recognises 8786 not-for-profit religions in Australia, which earned $3.6 billion through donations, bequests and legacies, and spent $3.1bn on wages and services in 2006-07.

The key is, of course, that last but one, paragraph.

" ...... but do not offend against the ordinary laws."

David.

 

[degraded being]

That's something! Finally we see how the tax office defines "A religion" -= and it ain't what scientology is, re: "the
ordinary laws."

 

[asfhweas]

That's something! Finally we see how the tax office defines "A religion" -= and it ain't what scientology is, re: "the
ordinary laws."

OK, cool!^_^ I just wanted to make sure I didn't do anything wrong :]

Nice! I'll start saving up some scratch for this

 

[mate]

Another tactic available to Senator Xenophon is the possibility of a secret ballot. This is an unusual tactic but does get used from time to time. As it is highly likely that many senators may feel that it is important that such an inquiry take place, they may well be reluctant to support it, as there may be a public perception that a religion is being attacked, and if so, they could become tarnished by supporting such as inquiry. A secret ballot would address this concern.

Of course, to proceed along this line, he would need to establish he has the numbers, which would be majority or at least 38 senators. This would take time and with the controversial ETS bill tying up the Coalition in meetings this week and this being the last week before recess, this won’t occur until the new year.

Senator Xenophon is a determined and remarkably persistent person, and there can be no doubt the inquiry will occur.

David.

 

[Carmel]

The vote for the inquiry won't be today, and it may not be this week - Sen X's call.

Hey, if you haven't yet written to Kevin Rudd, the aussie Prime Minister, then please do so.