Brethren members campaigned across NT during 2025 election, inquiry hears

A former Northern Territory chief minister has claimed members of a conservative Christian sect engaged in "intimidating" behaviour at NT polling booths while campaigning ahead of the last federal election.

Former Territory Labor leader Eva Lawler gave evidence at a parliamentary inquiry into the 2025 federal election when it sat in Darwin yesterday, saying members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC) had campaigned across vast areas of the NT.

Mrs Lawler lost her seat in the Territory parliament in 2024, but said while supporting Labor at the following year's federal election, she came across a group of "intimidating men" at booths in Greater Darwin.

NT-based federal Labor MP Marion Scrymgour has previously alleged members of the church — also known as the Exclusive Brethren — engaged in "aggressive and intimidating" behaviour during the election campaign at a Katherine polling booth.

Mrs Lawler told the inquiry that while she could not say "100 per cent" that the men were members of the PBCC, "they weren't locals".

"[They] were there to push the conservative side of politics," she said.

"I felt they were intimidating people at the booth that I was at.

"[Their comments were] derogatory to Labor, derogatory to Anthony Albanese."

Mrs Lawler said one person "was basically handing out how to vote [cards] for the Country Liberal Party" (CLP).

"But at times you would also see him talking to the One Nation people as well, so definitely on that conservative, right side of politics," she said.

The PBCC this week denied allegations it secretly paid people to disrupt Labor's 2025 federal election campaign, following reports of unusually large numbers of Liberal volunteers manning pre-polling booths in marginal seats.

'Actions of individuals'

During yesterday's hearing, Mrs Lawler also claimed members of the church flew to remote polling booths in Indigenous communities, including Wadeye and Groote Eylandt.

"Particularly in the remote communities there was probably eight or nine [men campaigning] at different times," she said.

Former NT deputy Labor leader Lynne Walker told the inquiry that while she was campaigning in the remote community of Galiwin'ku, a group of men she claimed were "part of the Brethren" flew in from Queensland to campaign for the CLP.

"[In previous elections] more often we would see known Country Liberal Party people from Darwin who had travelled out to some of the remote communities to [campaign], so it was the first time I'd seen people come in from interstate," she said.

In response to questions from the ABC, a spokesperson for the PBCC denied the church had played any role in the federal election.

"So we cannot comment on the actions of individuals who did — whether they are speculated to be members of our church or not," they said.

"It is clear that some people who share our faith did get involved, but it is completely wrong to conflate the actions of private individual citizens as being reflective of, or orchestrated by, their faith."

CLP president Nathan Land said he had "no knowledge of the CLP requesting any particular religious group, including the Exclusive Brethren, to campaign during the 2025 federal election".

"I have read the vague claims made by members of Territory Labor and find some humour in their concern about groups of people coming in to influence an election result," he said.

"Labor's union mates have been doing exactly that for as long as I can remember."

Hancock rejects staffer's claim

Former Territory Labor staffer and volunteer, Kerry Gardiner, also gave evidence at the inquiry, alleging members of the PBCC were flown in and out of Wadeye in a private jet owned by Australia's richest person, Gina Rinehart.

When asked if he could substantiate that claim, Mr Gardiner said he did not have a photo, but the tail of the jet was labelled with the letter H.

"H on he tail — Hancock Prospecting — that's her company," he said.

"I saw the plane."

In response to the claim, Hancock Prospecting spokesperson James Radford said it was "wrong and defamatory to suggest or report that this Labor volunteer/staffer’s claims are true".

"I understand one Labor volunteer/staffer made these false claims on the basis that he saw the letter H in a multi-character registration number of a random aircraft at an airport somewhere in the NT at some point last year," he said.

One of Darwin's main charter flight companies, Hardy Aviation, also has the letter H on its aircraft.