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Federal Senate Inquiry into the CofS, called for, in Australian Parliament tonight

Miss Pert

Silver Meritorious Patron
Carmel, you are a gem. An absolutely brilliant piece of organisation. Congratulations to the Schofields and Dethridges and Arron and of course, the Underwoods, for the courage they have shown.

My sentiments exactly, well done to you all. :bighug:
 

sallydannce

Gold Meritorious Patron
My jaw has hit the floor. This is INSANE!


Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck!!


I cant express my thanks to those who spoke out... this is just unbelievable!


I'm on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happens next. :omg:

May I politely suggest you grab some arm-rests or something...

This is going to be one fucking interesting ride! :happydance:
 

Minuet #1 in G

Patron with Honors
Can I ask Carmel whether a vote was taken on this? Mr X is an independent senator and does not have party backing. So would need to have at least one of the major parties on board and some other minor party senators. Good thing about Nick is that he is an important cross seat mp who holds the balance of power, and the government really needs him on side it want to get legislation through. So they might be willing to entertain him on this. However, having some support from other mps wouldnt go astray.

I was in Adelaide when the only other recent enquiry into Scientology was conducted in about 1983/4 I think it was. There were earlier enquiries in Aus notably the Anderson Enquiry in Victoria and others in other states in Australia in the late 60s which resulted in Scientology being banned in several states.

The Adelaide enquiry was undertaken by the Legislative Council (upper house of the SA parliament) and the outcome was pretty much a non-event with only minor impact on the operation of the c of s. Think this was as a result of the weight of evidence which was given being from scientologists on lines. There were only a few people who were anti giving evidence.

The key to a successful outcome should an enquiry be held would be first ensuring that the terms of reference were specific in examining the conduct of the c of s and could not be drawn off track by accepting a range of evidence from on-lines people who might lie and give glowing testimonies to paper over the cracks. It would seem to me that to be effective and to result in laws being passed which would restrict the excesses of this organisation, which I think would be a reasonable outcome, then it should hear evidence related to those excesses only and not delve into the religious nature of the subject or its effectiveness or otherwise.

I would like to read Mr X's speech as he might have covered this stuff. To have to pay reasonable wages, give people holidays, to reduce coercive regging practices, provide liveable residential quarters for staff, provide superannuation benefits, having proper internal grievance procedures, comply with OHS laws, have normal governance procedures like proper boards of management constituted by members and provide annual reports and financial statements to members, would all hit at the heart of the cultish behaviour and cripple its current modus operandi just as effectively as banning it through legislation.

I will watch this space with interest.
 

KnightVision

Gold Meritorious Patron
Oh My God...

This is GREAT news!!!!!!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


This is just excellent! Getting one's voice heard by the reps that one pays to represent them. Darned brilliant!!!


If OSA comes a lurkin'... be prepared to get it recorded, documented and sent to the Senator/s.... we all know the Co$ jerks will have to run their LconH implants on anybody who dares to expose their crimes...

Catch em, send em to the halls of justice.


I'm a bit unclear how all this came about... but to all and one who played their hand in this.... my Thanks and Admiration flow like a river for you!!


Yahooooooooooooooooooo!
 

jenni with an eye

Silver Meritorious Patron
In Parliament tonight, Senator Xenophon called for a Senate Inquiry into the Church of Scientology, and gave his reasons why.
To my very brave friends, the one's that stood up & insisted on responsibility
You all :rock:
To the Senator, :thankyou: :thankyou: :thankyou:
To OSA :shark::shark:
in case you don't get it, the Sharks are the true white pointers that believe in justice, truth and responsibility. The smilie trying to get away...that's you
 

Carmel

Crusader
Can I ask Carmel whether a vote was taken on this? Mr X is an independent senator and does not have party backing. So would need to have at least one of the major parties on board and some other minor party senators. Good thing about Nick is that he is an important cross seat mp who holds the balance of power, and the government really needs him on side it want to get legislation through. So they might be willing to entertain him on this. However, having some support from other mps wouldnt go astray.
Rest assured Min, yes, Sen X is one who has the balance of power on many matters, and he wouldn't have tabled this stuff if he didn't have certainty in regard to support. He has a heart of gold, IMO, but isn't silly enough to risk his political career by making a move on this before the time was right.

I was in Adelaide when the only other recent enquiry into Scientology was conducted in about 1983/4 I think it was. There were earlier enquiries in Aus notably the Anderson Enquiry in Victoria and others in other states in Australia in the late 60s which resulted in Scientology being banned in several states.

The Adelaide enquiry was undertaken by the Legislative Council (upper house of the SA parliament) and the outcome was pretty much a non-event with only minor impact on the operation of the c of s. Think this was as a result of the weight of evidence which was given being from scientologists on lines. There were only a few people who were anti giving evidence.
It's a different scenario now, due to the work all those before us have done. Senator Xenophon has struck while the iron is hot, and with much to substantiate his claims, that wasn't available in times gone past. - Good on all who've contributed to the endless amount of documentation about the abuses of the CofS which is now available.

I will watch this space with interest.
Yep, so will we...it's in good hands now......let that snowball roll!
 

jenni with an eye

Silver Meritorious Patron
Hi all,

It's Aaron Saxton, previously known as Aaron Tweddell. It is great to finally join the boards. This is explosive stuff...
Aaron Saxton
Aaron Tweddell

Aaron, welcome.
I am in awe of your courage for speaking out.
I hope that more people will now be brave & share their stories.
Then we will be really heading towards a saner planet.
You truly rock :rock::rock:
 

Miss Pert

Silver Meritorious Patron
:eyeroll:
Hi all,

It's Aaron Saxton, previously known as Aaron Tweddell. It is great to finally join the boards. This is explosive stuff...

It feels so good to finally have a place to meet all you guys, I have missed many. You all have courage, and strong minds, and are good people.

On a personal note to a number of the Sea Org LAers who will no doubt be reading everything I write anywhere from now on as part of their "exciting" post... I just wanted to say "Hi". And Hill-10 comes to mind as well... :duh:

On a personal note to anyone in the Sea Org reading this, I know your heart is in the right place, but your mind has to be as well. I admire you for your dedication, but not for where it is projected. I love you for your willingness to want to fight for truth, but not the truth you have been made to beleive.

And to the nasty ones who know exactly what you are doing and somehow actually enjoy it and justify it - I have nothing to say to you, just actions.

Aaron Saxton
Aaron Tweddell

Hi Aaron and :welcome2:

I don't know what to say, except thank you and you are awesome :buzzin: and as Jenni says you rock :rock:
 

Free to shine

Shiny & Free
http://www.watoday.com.au/national/...inal-organisation-xenophon-20091117-ikhi.html

Church of Scientology a criminal organisation: Xenophon
November 17, 2009 - 7:42PM

Independent senator Nick Xenophon has accused the Church of Scientology of being a criminal organisation.

The South Australian parliamentarian said he had been contacted by a number of former Scientologists, after he questioned the organisation's tax exempt status in a recent television interview.

"They have provided long and detailed letters to me about the workings of this organisation," he told the Senate.

"These people rightly see themselves as victims of Scientology."

Senator Xenophon said their correspondence implicated the organisation in a range of crimes, including forced imprisonment, coerced abortions, embezzlement of church funds, physical violence, intimidation and blackmail.

"I am deeply concerned about this organisation and the devastating impact it can have on its followers," he said.

Senator Xenophon said the Church of Scientology had been convicted of fraud in France and was facing similar charges in Belgium.

A number of the organisation's former high ranking executives in the US had also recently spoken out against its leader, David Miscavige, saying they had seen him assaulting staff and urging others to do the same, he said.

"What we are seeing is a worldwide pattern of abuse and criminality," Senator Xenophon said.

"On the body of evidence, this is not happening by accident, it is happening by design.

"Scientology is not a religious organisation, it is a criminal organisation that hides behind its so-called religious beliefs."

Eight letters from former members of the organisation were tabled in Parliament.

Paul David Schofield said his first daughter Lauren had died after she was allowed to wander one of the Church of Scientology's Sydney buildings and fell down some stairs.

"My wife and I were actively discouraged from seeking compensation from the church," he wrote.

"I was also encouraged by church executives to request no coronial inquiry into her death, something I stupidly agreed with at that time."

Mr Schofield's second daughter Kirsty also died, in this case after ingesting potassium chloride at the family home - a substance he said was used widely in the organisation's "purification" programs.

"I did not tell the truth either to the police or the court (to my shame) but omitted details which would have 'embarrassed' the church," he wrote.

In another letter, Aaron Saxton said that as a member of the organisation, he participated in the "forced confinement and torture" of others.

He wrote that Scientologists considered to be "underperforming" were placed on diets of beans and rice for up to two weeks at a time, and they were also not allowed to access medications or undergo procedures such as pap smears.

In her letter to Senator Xenophon, Carmel Underwood said she knew of one instance where a Church of Scientology trainee counsellor's molestation of his step-daughter was covered up.

While in another episode, Ms Underwood said the organisation interrogated her over three days in Sydney about her alleged "misdeeds".

Senator Xenophon said many names had been erased from the letters he had tabled in Parliament.

"But those names haven't been removed from copies I am providing to the police," he told the Senate.

"This organisation must be investigated."

AAP
 

Thrak

Gold Meritorious Patron
Rest assured Min, yes, Sen X is one who has the balance of power on many matters, and he wouldn't have tabled this stuff if he didn't have certainty in regard to support. He has a heart of gold, IMO, but isn't silly enough to risk his political career by making a move on this before the time was right.


It's a different scenario now, due to the work all those before us have done. Senator Xenophon has struck while the iron is hot, and with much to substantiate his claims, that wasn't available in times gone past. - Good on all who've contributed to the endless amount of documentation about the abuses of the CofS which is now available.


Yep, so will we...it's in good hands now......let that snowball roll!

Hopefully other countries start following suit. I don't understand how they've let this cult go so far unchecked. OSA must now stand for Office of Sleepless Assholes. All you have to do is wake up! And then you can get some sleep.
 

Dulloldfart

Squirrel Extraordinaire
:woohoo:

Thank you very much Carmel, Aaron, Scoots and the others.

Let's see how far "The voice of Xenu" gets with this. :). Whatever happens as a result of his effort, the worldwide press will be devastating.

Paul
 

Kookaburra

Gold Meritorious Patron
Welcome Aaron, nice first innings smashed the leather right off the Ball.

Absolutely! You are one AWESOME dude!

welcome to the ESMB, I know right now OSA offices are in overwhelm.


The first news of this hit the boards at about 1am LA time. I'll bet there were a few curses as staff realized they were not going home tonight!
:sleepy: Forget it, OSAbots!

Gee, I wonder if anyone has told David Miscavage yet. :giggle:

:hmm:


:questions:



BWAAAAHAAAHAAAHAAA!!!!

So who get's to tell him? :nailbiting: :hide:

Are you ready to grovel? :begging:

Maybe you should just blow. (bring docs)

He's gonna be REALLY PISSED!!!

:shock:

:storm:

:hissyfit:

:pullhair:

:shithitfan:

But don't worry. At least you get lots of auditing on the RPF.

:hmm: (bring docs)

It's now 4am in LA. Get some more coffee. Have you found a 24 hour travel agent to get those missionaires on a plane?

They'll arrive in Australia just in time to be greeted by :guyfawkes:

Oh, and make sure they are on a plane that gets live news coverage mid air, cos there's MOAR BAD NEWS ON THE WAY!!!

(bring docs...and a swimsuit, sunscreen and surfboard)

:tiptoe:
:outtahere:

BTW, what is the stat penalty for senate enquiries? And it's only Tuesday. DONT FORGET THE DOCS!!!

I'm off to sleep now. :sleepy: See ya tomorrow!
 

RogerB

Crusader
What a Blow!

What a wonderful blow for truth, honor and decency by you wonderful Wizards of Oz!

I was in awe as I listened to the good Senator.

As far as I recall, this is the first time Scn has been castigated at a Federal level. The earlier flings at it were on a state basis.

It is also to be noted that this is the first time (to my knowledge) former members of the organization have spoken out with such a credible denunciation of its crimes and conduct of affairs.

In the past it had been outsiders attacking the organization.

This event is a whole new scenario. A whole new vector of truth.

Beautifully done you wonderful people!

RogerB
 
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jenni with an eye

Silver Meritorious Patron
In Parliament tonight, Senator Xenophon called for a Senate Inquiry into the Church of Scientology, and gave his reasons why.

When the hansard (transcript) of Senator Xenophon's speech to the Senate (which was bloody awesome :thumbsup:) is available, we'll post it.

And, media will follow tomorrow, so stay tuned! :happydance:

:cheers2: :party: :coolwink:
Everyone needs to read this
 
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