Brethren claim Labour family

Five of the businessmen with links to the Exclusive Brethren during a press conference last year. Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

Exclusive Brethren members met with Labour Government ministers before the last election, and a Government minister who has publicly criticised the sect has Brethren family, according to November's Investigate magazine.

The revelations come in an interview with the seven Brethren businessmen behind the anti-Labour pamphlets that sparked a political storm around the sect.

Asked about political lobbying, they say: "We openly met with members of Parliament from all political parties over a two-year period prior to the last election and that includes Labour Government ministers."

They say they were acting independently of the international Church, as "a small group of concerned citizens" and that "... we did not seek permission to become involved in the democratic process".

A spokesman for Prime Minister Helen Clark confirmed yesterday that Brethren lobbyists "attempted to meet with Helen Clark".

"If they did meet with any Government ministers it was for lobbying on specific issues like employment and education."

The seven also deny any knowledge of the information gathered by private investigators hired by Brethren members to spy on Labour ministers. There's no mention of whether they were involved in Brethren efforts to orchestrate a National-led coalition immediately after the election.

The article also makes reference to "one [unnamed] high-profile Government politician" with family inside the church who attended Brethren services as a young person and maintained contact with them.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY