# Exclusive Brethren leader denies knowing members volunteered for Liberal party

https://mins.news/en/item/102662

- The Guardian, 2026-10-16 06:58 UTC
- Politics
- Original: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/oct/16/exclusive-brethren-head-denies-knowing-church-members-volunteering-liberal-party-2025-election-ntwnfb

> Bruce Hales, the senior figure in the Exclusive Brethren, told a parliamentary inquiry he neither knew of nor took part in church members volunteering for the Liberal party during the 2025 federal election. He denied the church was a cult. His son Gareth said the label was “a bit rough,” as committee members clashed during the hearing.