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NEW BOOK - Fair Game: The Incredible Untold Story of Scientology in Australia

tetloj

Silver Meritorious Patron
Up to the part about Murdoch's past transgressions against Scientology...love reading about the ol' time muckraking newspaper reporter shenanigans from the 60's, including old man Packer getting into fisticuffs at the racetrack.

The apple really doesn't fall far from the tree (but I bet Frank Packer wasn't fighting over a girl)

james.JPG
 

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
AUDIO: Startling claims about the secretive activities of Scientology in Australia

AUDIO: Startling new claims about the secretive activities of the Church of Scientology in Australia

ABC AU: Startling new claims about the secretive activities of the Church of Scientology in Australia

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational...bout-the-secretive-scientology-church/7864020

* * * * * BEGIN INTRODUCTION * * * * *

Startling new claims about the secretive activities of the Church of Scientology in Australia

Listen now Download audio

Wednesday 21 September 2016 8:18AM (view full episode)

There are startling new claims about the secretive activities of the Church of Scientology in Australia, including that the group held a decades-long grudge against Rupert Murdoch for the role he and his newspapers played in having the organisation banned in the 1960s.

'Fair Game; the incredible untold story of Scientology in Australia', by journalist Steve Cannane, also claims the Church sought to use Tom Cruise's recruitment of James Packer to get to his good friend, Lachlan Murdoch.

* * * * * END INTRODUCTION * * * * *
 

tetloj

Silver Meritorious Patron
Re: AUDIO: Startling claims about the secretive activities of Scientology in Australi

For non Aussies, this radio show is listened to widely by professional/political types - it's a real news junkie/'opinion leaders' program

Radio National breakfast comes on straight after "AM" which sets the tone for political news coverage and key media items for the rest of the day.

(Great piece....Fran Kelly saying she had 'no idea' about the punishment regime in Scientology)
 

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
Revealed: How Scientology secretly 'audited' billionaire James Packer, wooed him in Tom Cruise's penthouse and 'even spied on him' before making him their top recruitment target

Daily Mail: Revealed: How Scientology secretly 'audited' billionaire James Packer, wooed him in Tom Cruise's penthouse and 'even spied on him' before making him their top recruitment target

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ch-Scientology-plot-recruit-James-Packer.html

* * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * * *


New details of Church plot to recruit Australian billionaire James Packer

Author Steve Cannane has published book about Scientology in Australia

30 devoted followers scrubbed carpark floors 'all night' for Packer arrival

The casino king has said he found Scientology's practices 'helpful'

However, he severed ties with the Church in about 2006

The Church of Scientology denied allegations contained in the book

By DANIEL PIOTROWSKI FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

PUBLISHED: 21:10 EST, 21 September 2016 | UPDATED: 01:21 EST, 22 September 2016

A crack squad of 30 devout Scientologists 'worked all night' scrubbing the carpark of its Sydney headquarters with all-purpose cleaner to prepare for a visit from James Packer.

That's according to a new book by author Steve Cannane - Fair Game: The Incredible Untold Story of Scientology in Australia - which details stunning claims of an alleged plot to recruit the billionaire and his friend Lachlan Murdoch.

In the early 2000s, Mr Packer would receive 'auditing' from top Scientology personnel and penthouse treatment with Tom Cruise at its LA celebrity base.

'The big project we were working on was Jamie (Packer),' said Marty Rathbun, the Church's former second in command, who described himself in the book as Mr Packer's auditor (or counsellor) in the United States.

Mr Rathbun said: 'Jamie would come by from time to time when he was in the States and we would after session go up to the President's suite.
'It's the penthouse suite at the Celebrity Centre (in Los Angeles) - Tom had it reserved for that entire several month period.'

* * * * * END EXCERPT * * * * *






.
 

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
Why does Australia sponsor the dangerous cult of Scientology?

Why does Australia sponsor the dangerous cult of Scientology?

The Australian - Why does Australia sponsor the dangerous cult of Scientology?

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opi...y/news-story/0cd5e1c86ddd45d061c8c11fd9928f3b

* * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * * *

Why does Australia sponsor the dangerous cult of Scientology?

The Australian 1:52PM September 23, 2016

JACK THE INSIDER
Columnist Canberra
@JacktheInsider

Journalist Steve Cannane has just released a book called Fair Game: The Untold Story of Scientology in Australia.

Steve’s a mate of mine. He has been working on the book for some time. I haven’t read it as yet but Steve and I chatted a number of times while he was doing the research and writing.

The release of the book got me to thinking about religion in Australia and its legal framework or the lack thereof. I’ve been keeping an eye on Scientology and various other cults in Australian for a long time. Their theological tenets, such as they are, are often laughably incoherent and fantastically structured. Scientology is no different.

This, in a nutshell, is what Scientologists believe:

Around 75 million years ago, a dictator of the Galactic Confederacy, Xenu brought billions of aliens to Earth in a spaceship that oddly looked a lot like a DC-8, then stacked them around volcanoes and blew them up with hydrogen bombs. Their souls clustered together and stuck to the bodies of the living known as Thebans and continue to create chaos and havoc today.

We are all Thebans, according to Scientology but as you might expect, some are more Thetan than others. There exists a hierarchy of thetanhood — we all start as a Level I but only when we buy a lot of Scientology approved science fiction can we climb up the ladder.

[SNIP]

But ultimately what defines a cult and separates it from a legitimate religion is the practice of exclusion. When a person joins a cult, he or she is denied access to their families, to their children, to their spouses, to their brothers and sisters. The reverse is commonplace in cults too. When someone is cast out they are denied contact with family members who remain in the cult.

It is particularly cruel and utterly repugnant. The notion taxpayers should be putting their hands in their pockets in support of the practice is absurd.

Exclusion and separation give our politicians a point of definition that enables them to determine what is a genuine religion and what is a cult. If a religious organisation practices exclusion and separation, it’s a cult and off the tax exempt list. It’s simple enough.

We can laugh at the crazy Scientology faux theology but there’s no doubting it is dangerous. The really crazy thing is Scientology has been sponsored by taxpayers for a very long time.

I don’t think there’d be too many sensible people in Australia who would argue that it should stop at once.


* * * * * END EXCERPT * * * * *



.
 

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
PODCAST: Investigating Scientology in Australia: Steve Cannane

PODCAST: Investigating Scientology in Australia: Steve Cannane

Conversations with Richard Fidler - Investigating Scientology in Australia: Steve Cannane

http://www.abc.net.au/radio/program...ientology-in-australia:-steve-cannane/7854448

Audio at link.

* * * * * BEGIN INTRODUCTION * * * * *

Investigating Scientology in Australia: Steve Cannane

MP3 available 23.34 MB

Founded by science fiction writer, L. Ron Hubbard, the Church of Scientology is secretive about its practices, and famously litigious.

Members are strongly discouraged from speaking about it to outsiders, and punished if found to have done so.

Scientology was banned in three states of Australia for some time, but the organisation continues to attract members.

Steve Cannane is the ABC's European Correspondent. His first stories on Scientology were for ABC TV's Lateline.

During the past four years he's spoken with more than 200 former members of the church, and compiled a substantial expose of Scientology's operations in Australia.

Steve says the church's operations in the West have been decimated by the internet.

Further information

Fair Game - the Incredible Untold Story of Scientology in Australia is published by Harper Collins

Duration: 50min 35sec
Broadcast: Fri 23 Sep 2016, 11:00am
Published: Sat 17 Sep 2016, 1:51am


* * * * * END INTRODUCTION * * * * *





.
 

oneonewasaracecar

Gold Meritorious Patron
For those outside Australia, this book's release is quite timely. There are a number of independent senators after the recent election and if they lock arms, it really could be the end in Australia of the tax exemption.
 

Jump

Operating teatime
This is a 50 minute radio interview with Steve Cannane on ABC radio.
(I haven't listened yet.)

Investigating Scientology in Australia: Steve Cannane

http://www.abc.net.au/radio/program...ientology-in-australia:-steve-cannane/7854448


WOW. That podcast series 'Conversations with Richard Fidler' is going to bring this to a whole new audience segment. Many of these listeners would never watch Today Tonight or other commercial television, being exclusive ABC viewers/listeners. This will take the information to 'high society'

:happydance:
 

dchoiceisalwaysrs

Gold Meritorious Patron
Re: AUDIO: Startling claims about the secretive activities of Scientology in Australi

It would be very good to have Steve book get some broad exposure on some of the Taiwanese language media in Aussie land and Taiwan
And extrapolating perhaps our wonderful Udarnik might be off assistance including for the California (San Francisco and LA) 'religious' scn students
Anyone think Russian readers would also be interested?

For non Aussies, this radio show is listened to widely by professional/political types - it's a real news junkie/'opinion leaders' program

Radio National breakfast comes on straight after "AM" which sets the tone for political news coverage and key media items for the rest of the day.

(Great piece....Fran Kelly saying she had 'no idea' about the punishment regime in Scientology)
 

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
Fair Game: The incredible untold story of Scientology in Australia: Steve Cannane | Amazon

FAIR GAME: a policy by which enemies of Scientology can be, according to L. Ron Hubbard, ‘deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed.’

From James Packer to Nicole Kidman to elite Rugby League players trying to improve their game, Scientology has recruited its share of famous Australians. Less known is that Australia was the first place to ban Scientology, or that Scientology spies helped expose the Chelmsford Deep Sleep Scandal. A number of Australians have held senior posts in the organisation only to fall foul of the top brass and lose their families as a result.

Based on years of interviews and meticulous research, Walkley Award-winning journalist Steve Cannane tells for the first time the fascinating story of Australia’s vital involvement with this powerful, secretive and punitive cult.

Australia - https://www.amazon.com.au/Fair-Game-Incredible-Scientology-Australia-ebook/dp/B00JDVPR96

Canada - https://www.amazon.ca/Fair-Game-incredible-Scientology-Australia/dp/1909269468

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fair-Game-incredible-Scientology-Australia/dp/1909269468

US - https://www.amazon.com/Fair-Game-incredible-Scientology-Australia/dp/1909269468



Courtesy of The Wrong Gun on WWP: https://whyweprotest.net/threads/fa...stralia-by-steve-cannane.131990/#post-2592827
 

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
Steve Cannane’s book reveals disturbing new claims about the Church of Scientology.

News Com AU: Steve Cannane’s book reveals disturbing new claims about the Church of Scientology

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/re...y/news-story/dfe8c28a7153e5c96360b29b2b70adfe

* * * * * BEGIN EXCERPT * * * *

IN 2008, Jose Navarro was sent to Australia as a form of punishment.

It was 15 years after the then-35-year-old Venezualan joined the Church of Scientology, where he worked aboard the church’s luxury cruise ship Freewinds as a chef.

His crime? He ended up falling in love with a fellow trainee on the ship.

The woman in question was working on the ship as punishment, and the authorities of the church forbade them from engaging during this period.

When it was discovered they subsequently had premarital sex regardless, Navarro was told he would be sent to the Rehabilitation Project Force (RPF), a correctional centre in Australia.

Only after he arrived here did he learn the woman had been pregnant with their child and, he claims, forced to have an abortion on the Freewinds.

* * * * * * END EXCERPT * * * * *
 

scooter

Gold Meritorious Patron
So:

Last night Caz and I drove to Sydney to an unheralded official launch of "Fair Game" at The Giant Dwarf, the same place Tony O. spoke at in Sydney when he launched his book there.

It was full of media types from the ABC - so many TV peeps from TV and radio whose names were on the tip of my tongue all night. Theses peeps are REAL opinion leaders who work for Oz's National Broadcasting service. And I'm sure they will be mentioning it today and in future.:clap:

Hosted by JJJ Radio breakfast's Robbie Buck and with a speech by Sen. Nic Xenophon, it was an amazing night. Invite-only, it was full of exes and well-known activists too.

Jose Navarro, Joe Reaiche, Carmel Underwood, Carmen Rainer, Cherished (looking ravishing, dear !!!) and more. I literally meet a former cult member in the Men's just after I got there - someone I used to hang out with lots who I hadn't seen for 30 years. We had a great reunion and a lot of laughs talking about some of the fun we got up to outside of the cult.

And of course, Bryan Seymour and his fiancé were there too.

No OSA - well, none that I saw and I doubt they had a heads-up on this, altho' Robbie drew a lot of laughs addressing any possible OSA plants in his initial remarks. But he quickly turned it real as he spoke about them and their Gestapo tactics with a lot of knowledge - he'd already read the book and obviously done further research himself. A lot of high-profile peeps from media and publishing heard first-hand some of the REAL truths about the cult. And fittingly applauded Jose, Carmen and others as they were mentioned and pointed out by Nic and/or Steve.

The future for the cult here in Oz took a decided dive last night. A lot of very influential people got a whole new reality of $cientology from an event that showed the human cost of the insanity Hubbard foisted on us all. And OSA probably didn't have a clue it was on, as it was invite-only and kept pretty low-key by Steve himself.

Still sleep-deprived from the night and the trip but well worth it. Have my copy (and another to loan out:biggrin:) so going to read lots in the next week or so. Got to chat to Nic and others about future action against the cult - stay tuned:coolwink:

And, of course:

FUCK YOU, OSA !!!

:woohoo:

If you thought your stats were sucko of late, the future is your worst nightmares about to come true.:devil:
 

tetloj

Silver Meritorious Patron
The future for the cult here in Oz took a decided dive last night. A lot of very influential people got a whole new reality of $cientology from an event that showed the human cost of the insanity Hubbard foisted on us all. And OSA probably didn't have a clue it was on, as it was invite-only and kept pretty low-key by Steve himself.

Still sleep-deprived from the night and the trip but well worth it. Have my copy (and another to loan out:biggrin:) so going to read lots in the next week or so. Got to chat to Nic and others about future action against the cult - stay tuned:coolwink:

And, of course:

FUCK YOU, OSA !!!

:woohoo:

If you thought your stats were sucko of late, the future is your worst nightmares about to come true.:devil:

As Peter Cundall would say - this is bloomin' marvellous !!

The book was fabulous and difficult to put down (the only way I could get it electronically was on my phone so I was literally reading it in snatched seconds and minutes). Fascinating to see names like Don Dunstan, Lionel Murphy, Roy Masters and Anne Deveney intertwined with the cult's history. The testimony of the Gillham children was damning and I'm so glad that they spoke with Steve. Also really soaked in the vibe of the 50's and 60's gutter journos, reinforcing that even click-bait chasing institutions can and do provide great public good when they go after whackos like Hubbard.

It is always amusing to read the Hubbard hubris, but I scratch my head that the con has been spectacularly successful in spite of all the early efforts to protect the public (misguided in the case of state bans in Australia).

Politically it would be excellent to see more movement of public benefits tests for tax exemption and better scrutiny of religious visas. Would love to hear the fall out of Jose's protection visa
 

RogerB

Crusader
Tetloj . . . :biggrin:

Peter Crundall :biggrin: did you, do you know him? From where, in Oz or the US?

He was Australia's "first Clear" back around 1959-60 or so . . . he did it in London under Hubbs. On his return to Oz, he said: "There's a lot more to do!" . . . meaning, this Clear gig is not the end of case.

You wrote Roy Masters . . . is that a typo meaning Ron Masters? He was a wonderful man, and Dot, his wife. It was Ron that got Alan Walter going . . .

R
 

Free to shine

Shiny & Free
Tetloj . . . :biggrin:

Peter Crundall :biggrin: did you, do you know him? From where, in Oz or the US?

He was Australia's "first Clear" back around 1959-60 or so . . . he did it in London under Hubbs. On his return to Oz, he said: "There's a lot more to do!" . . . meaning, this Clear gig is not the end of case.

You wrote Roy Masters . . . is that a typo meaning Ron Masters? He was a wonderful man, and Dot, his wife. It was Ron that got Alan Walter going . . .

R

No Peter Cundall is an Australian gardening guru and that was his catchphrase.
 

Free to shine

Shiny & Free
So:

Last night Caz and I drove to Sydney to an unheralded official launch of "Fair Game" at The Giant Dwarf, the same place Tony O. spoke at in Sydney when he launched his book there.

It was full of media types from the ABC - so many TV peeps from TV and radio whose names were on the tip of my tongue all night. Theses peeps are REAL opinion leaders who work for Oz's National Broadcasting service. And I'm sure they will be mentioning it today and in future.:clap:

Hosted by JJJ Radio breakfast's Robbie Buck and with a speech by Sen. Nic Xenophon, it was an amazing night. Invite-only, it was full of exes and well-known activists too.

Jose Navarro, Joe Reaiche, Carmel Underwood, Carmen Rainer, Cherished (looking ravishing, dear !!!) and more. I literally meet a former cult member in the Men's just after I got there - someone I used to hang out with lots who I hadn't seen for 30 years. We had a great reunion and a lot of laughs talking about some of the fun we got up to outside of the cult.

And of course, Bryan Seymour and his fiancé were there too.

No OSA - well, none that I saw and I doubt they had a heads-up on this, altho' Robbie drew a lot of laughs addressing any possible OSA plants in his initial remarks. But he quickly turned it real as he spoke about them and their Gestapo tactics with a lot of knowledge - he'd already read the book and obviously done further research himself. A lot of high-profile peeps from media and publishing heard first-hand some of the REAL truths about the cult. And fittingly applauded Jose, Carmen and others as they were mentioned and pointed out by Nic and/or Steve.

The future for the cult here in Oz took a decided dive last night. A lot of very influential people got a whole new reality of $cientology from an event that showed the human cost of the insanity Hubbard foisted on us all. And OSA probably didn't have a clue it was on, as it was invite-only and kept pretty low-key by Steve himself.

Still sleep-deprived from the night and the trip but well worth it. Have my copy (and another to loan out:biggrin:) so going to read lots in the next week or so. Got to chat to Nic and others about future action against the cult - stay tuned:coolwink:

And, of course:

FUCK YOU, OSA !!!

:woohoo:

If you thought your stats were sucko of late, the future is your worst nightmares about to come true.:devil:

Brilliant, thanks Scooter! That is seriously good.

I also saw a good segment on A Current Affair last night with Steve being interviewed, I'm not sure if there's a video available.

EDIT: I found a link:
http://www.9news.com.au/national/20...ng-shone-on-scientologys-history-in-australia
 
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