UPDATE MARCH 2007 PART THREE

HAS GOD BECOME AUSTRALIA'S LATEST POLITICAL PAWN?

FAMILY FIRST

The Family First political party was brought to your attention in Update November, 2004.

Their grass roots rose via the Assemblies of God Church and is known as the Hillsong Church one of the most conspicuous of the contemporary Pentecostal and evangelical churches whose collective growth is fast outstripping that of the more traditional denominations as reported in the Sun-Herald, November 7, 2004 by Sarah Price and Matthew Benns.

More than 18,000 people flock to the Baulkham Hills and city Hillsong Churches to hear the word each weekend. This church has Political Muscle and Business Acumen.

The story of Hillsong, self-described as "the church that never sleeps", began 21 years ago when Brian and Bobbie Houston founded the Hills Christian Life Centre.

As Newly weds in 1978 they migrated from New Zealand and joined the ministry team of the Sydney Christian Life Centre, an Assemblies of God Church in the city founded by Houston's parents, which is now Hillsong's city worship centre. The church is known not just for it's style of Christian worship, but for it's links to the burgeoning political influence of the "Religious Right" through politicians associated with it.

The Liberal Party's Louise Markus, a Hillsong Church member, won the seat of Greenway, which has been held by Labor since it was proclaimed in 1984, with a 7.02% swing. Liberal MP for Mitchell, Alan Cadman, who retained his north-western suburbs seat with a 1.09 swing and two Family First Senate candidates, Joan Woods and Ivan Herald, who failed to win Senate seats, were featured in Hillsong's latest glossy circular, with members being asked to pray for them.

Prime Minister John Howard opened Hillsong's Baulkham Hills Convention Centre in October 2002 and Treasurer Peter Costello spoke to 21,600 registered delegates at the Super Dome conference this year. (2004)

Dr Max Wallace, author of The Purple Economy, which investigates the business of churches says "(Australian) citizens are underwriting the churches." "But," he adds, "what we are getting is a lack of accountability, a lack of transparency and no obligation to do any charitable work.

The full church accounts are not publicly available. Hillsong, along with all churches in Australia does not pay tax and does not have to file its' accounts with the . Australian Taxation Office.

Houston says any regular member of the Hillsong congregation can make an appointment and be shown the accounts. Not only does Houston encourage success in his congregation, he embraces it for himself and wife Bobbie. He wears a Brietling watch and rides a Harley Davidson Fatboy. 

The couple owns a house in Glenhaven and a 1.2 hectare block in Wilberforce. As well, Bobbie owns a unit in Bondi, which the Sun-Herald has established she bought for $650,000 in January 2002. Houston says he returns his pastor's wages, set by the church board, to Hillsong and earns his money mainly from books and speaking commitments.

Houston has told the Sun-Herald previously that he earns money as a silent partner in property development and on speaking tours. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) lists Houston as the director of a range of companies including a cafe and a deregistered travel company. But Houston says he is a director of the Hillsong Foundation and other associated entities that are all not for profit.

On Monday night July 4, 2005 NSW Labor Premier Bob Carr made his Hillsong debut before a 20,000 plus crowd but was usurped by Federal Treasurer Peter Costello who delivered his second address in as many years, at the Sydney Super Dome. Other Federal members who attended included, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews and Peter Dutton. This political interest by leaders of both major parties in State and Federal into this booming new religious craze is not dis­similar to how religion and politics emanated in the early days of the Middle East .

Is history being repeated? Has God become Australia 's latest political Pawn?

HOWARD DIRECTS TAXPAYER'S MONEY TO THE HILLSONG RELIGION

On Monday August 22, 2005 Prime Minister John Howard announced a $414,000 grant to the church group Hillsong claiming it was donated without bias to the group they have worked strongly to woo. This is the so called church group who was seen as crucial in backing Howard's Liberal candidate Louise Markus, herself a Hillsong employee, in her take over of the long term Labor stronghold of Greenway.

Hillsong was listed with eight other projects from 78 applicants. The Hillsong grant was the second largest of the grants.

Defending the grant Mr Howard said the decision was based on advice from a local advisory group, headed by former police officer Tim Priest with Justice Minister Chris Ellison making the final decision.

After the Royal Society for the Welfare of Mothers and Babies who received $447,421 to help mothers in jail, Hillsong received the largest grant, more than double any of the 6 remaining benefactors. The Chairman of the influential Hillsong church group, Brian Houston was asked earlier this month to explain why he failed to lodge statements revealing his earnings and assets. Under NSW corporate law companies must report income and expenditure.

Leadership Ministries Incorporated, in which Mr Houston is a director of, did not furnish financial statements since it was listed in October 2001. Since we told the story of Family First and Hillsong - Link >>>> Update - August 2005, Part One, we have received thousands upon thousands of Australians complaints who have vented their disgust re: Governments supporting such a Questionable religious group.

ARE OUR MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES IN BED WITH THE HILLSONG CHURCH ?

The Hillsong Church has denied it used an Aboriginal community to secure a federal grant and then tried to bribe the community to keep silent. A Labor MP, Ian West, told the NSW Parliament the church's charitable arm, Hillsong Emerge, "misused" the riverstone Aboriginal Community Association to apply for a $415,000 crime-prevention grant from the federal Government. Mr. West said Hillsong used the community "to get taxpayers money for its own purposes" and then "lamely tried to dole out some of the money in return for their cooperation."

"Taxpayer funding which is needed for local disadvantaged communities is now being channeled directly into Hillsong plagiarised funding proposals which were supposed to be made as part of a joint application with the Riverside Association.

In August 2005, John Howard announced the grant to Hillsong but did not mention the involvement of Riverstone or any other partners. The head of Hillsong, Leigh Coleman, later wrote to the community offering to give it $280,000 from the grant. Mr. West said this was an attempt "to pay off the Riverstone Aboriginal Community Association in return for its silence." He told Parliament he had since been branded a "liar" during Hillsong services

Hillsong Emerge issued a citizen's right of reply, saying Mr. West's claims of bribery were "nonsense." "Allegations that Hillsong Emerge has in some way "used" the Riverstone Aboriginal community Associated to secure Federal funding are untrue and without foundation," it said. The Riverstone Association has raised concerns in local media that Hillsong Emerge sought to divert funds towards its own projects. But Hillsong's reply said the Riverstone Association was to be treated as a partner in the project. It said Mr. Coleman promised funds to the community "as an act of good faith to demonstrate Hillsong Emerge's willingness to co-operate "with the Riverstone Association as "an equal partner."

"Ultimately, the Attorney-General's Department will determine how this project proceeds," it said. Hillsong Emerge hoped the Riverstone partnership would continue. The reply will be included in Hansard under a ruling by Parliament's privileges committee.

Hillsong, whose congregation in north-west Sydney has been increasing courted by politicians of all persuasions. An active member, Louise Markus, was elected as the Liberal MP for Greenway at the 2004 Federal Election. Ms Markus was one of three politicians to support Hillsong's funding application, along with two NSW Labor MP's Roger Price, the member for Chifley, and John Acquilina, the member for Riverstone.

The church's annual conference at the superdome in July 2005 attracted about 28,000 delegates and a range of State and Federal politicians including the Treasurer, Peter Costello the Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, the Workplace Relations Minister, Kevin Andrews, and the then Premier Bob Carr. The Prime Minister John Howard opened Hillsong's 3,500-seat convention centre at Baulkham Hills in 2002.

"(The church) obviously has a capacity to reach sections of the Australian community with a Christian message which has eluded that of other churches, for whom I retain, of course, a great deal of respect and personal support," Mr. Howard said.

The following report, "Hillsong emerges to serve jobless," by Adele Horin in the Sydney Morning Herald- Thursday, July 13,2006 .

The welfare arm of the Hillsong church will be the biggest non-government provider of services to unemployed people in NSW under a new Federal Government welfare to-work program.

Hillsong Emerge will be paid by the Federal Government to counsel people who are stripped of their unemployment payment for eight weeks under tough rules that came into effect on July 1. The biggest charities have refused to take part in the program to 'financially case manage" the most vulnerable unemployed, including sole parents and disabled people who will be left without income. Hillsong Emerge registered to carry out the work and was approved to service clients referred by Centrelink offices in some of Sydney 's most disadvantaged suburbs. These cover Baulkham Hills, Blacktown , Redfern, St Marys and Mount Druitt , where the greatest number of social security penalties have been imposed. Because of the boycott by the big charities, unemployed people and parents with dependent children in most parts of Sydney and NSW will have to be managed by Centrelink officers. Only 13 other small organizations, mostly regional neighbourhood centres, have been registered. A spokesman for the welfare Rights Centre, Gerard Thomas, said many people might be reluctant to be sent by Centrelink to a welfare agency associated with an evangelical church. Hillsong Emerge, under other names, has provided welfare services since 1989, and has previously won Federal Government contracts.

Its chief executive, Leigh Coleman, addressed a public meeting in Waterloo last November of citizens concerned about the possible blurring of its welfare and evangelical work. He admitted some of it's volunteer "street teams" may have overstepped the boundaries, but its professional workers did not.

It was stripped of a $414,479 Federal grant this year amid claims it obtained the funds by deceiving the Aboriginal community that was supposed to be a beneficiary.

About 18,000 people a year are expected to lose their benefit for eight weeks for infringing job search rules, compared with about 3,800 a year under the old rules. About 4,000 of the most vulnerable who lose their benefits, the Government says, will be eligible to be case managed. The Government will pay charities $650 to manage each eligible unemployed person it assigns to them. It wants charities to assess the person's essential expenses and notify Centrelink, which would then decide whether to pay bills

Most charities strongly oppose the policy of stripping all income from unemployed people as morally unjustifiable.

We've supplied the evidence. You can now retire to consider "Your Verdict."