Brethren church denies paying far-right activists to stage election stunts targeting Albanese and others

The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church has denied it secretly paid far-right influencers to stage stunts targeting Anthony Albanese and other politicians during an appearance at a parliamentary inquiry into the 2025 election. The church also refuted claims it had coordinated hundreds of volunteers to support Liberal candidates, including at polling booths across the country. The Nine newspapers reported on Friday that the church, formerly known as the Exclusive Brethren, paid influencers to disrupt the Labor campaign, including Laurence McIntyre, who was filmed heckling the prime minister.

McIntyre has been previously pictured with neo-Nazis figures Joel Davis and Blair Cottrell and was reported by the ABC to be an organiser for a March for Australia anti-immigration rally in 2025. Lloyd Grimshaw, a director at the Brethren church, told the parliamentary inquiry on Friday that the reporting by Nine was a “complete lie”. He also said multiple church members had contacted him about how they were treated at polling booths, saying claiming some faced “aggressive questioning” and “verbal abuse” over their involvement.

Volunteers from the Brethren church were seen at polling booths across the country during the campaign, but Grimshaw denied they were instructed by the church. He told the committee the church had not facilitated any payments to volunteers who had to travel to support Liberal candidates in their electorates. There was not one single cent paid from the church to fund that type of activity.” Asked about the alleged campaigning activities of senior Brethren church members, including reports regarding its director, Mark MacKenzie, in previous elections, Grimshaw again said their actions were not coordinated by the church.

The Labor-chaired committee recommended a new code of conduct for campaigners, but the Coalition accused Labor of turning the election inquiry into a “hyper-partisan witch-hunt” against members of the church. On Friday, the Nationals leader, Matt Canavan, claimed the Labor party was weaponising the inquiry against the Brethren church and “launching a war” against those of religious faith. And the Labor party here seems to be launching a war on those of religious faith that seek to involve themselves in politics.”