# Brethren leader denies role in church's election campaign

> Bruce Hales tells MPs he had no knowledge of Exclusive Brethren members campaigning for the Liberals in 2025, suggesting his sons kept him in the dark.
- Title: Brethren leader denies role in church's election campaign
- Summary: Bruce Hales tells MPs he had no knowledge of Exclusive Brethren members campaigning for the Liberals in 2025, suggesting his sons kept him in the dark…
- Keywords: exclusive brethren, bruce hales, 2025 australian election, liberal party, parliamentary inquiry, election campaigning, news, politics, Brethren, leader, denies, role
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/australia-news/video/2026/oct/16/mps-clash-over-grilling-of-exclusive-brethren-leader-on-alleged-election-campaigning-video-ntwnfb
- Published: 2026-10-16T06:35:41+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: exclusive brethren, bruce hales, 2025 australian election, liberal party, parliamentary inquiry, election campaigning, news, politics
## Hales denies coordinating campaign
Exclusive Brethren leader Bruce Hales told a parliamentary inquiry he had no knowledge of church members campaigning for the Liberals during the 2025 federal election and took no part in planning it.

> no knowledge of the events and no part in planning them
## Sons may have kept him in dark
Hales suggested his sons deliberately withheld information from him, saying it was quite likely they had not sought his permission before involving church members in the campaign.

> quite likely they had not sought his permission
## MPs question polling booth presence
MPs grilled Hales over Brethren members' presence at polling booths and the Make Australia smile again campaign signage, as the church denies paying far-right activists to stage election stunts.
## Key takeaway

Exclusive Brethren leader Bruce Hales denies coordinating church members' campaigning for the Liberals during the 2025 federal election, telling a parliamentary inquiry he had no knowledge of the events.