Fed:
Bernardi likens Greens to Nazis during Scientology
debate
2010-03-11
12:48:46
Publication: AAP
Australian General News
Independent senator Nick
Xenophon
unsuccessfully tried to have the tax-free
status of religious and charitable groups in Australia referred to an
upper
house committee for inquiry.
Senator Xenophon
says he's heard disturbing claims about the Church of Scientology and is unhappy it
gets a tax break.
The debate on
his motion turned nasty when Senator Cory Bernardi accused the
Australian Greens of conducting religious witch-hunts.
"This
(the Greens) is
the organisation, remember, that wanted the members
of the Exclusive Brethren Christian organisation to mark their
businesses so
people would know who they were," he said.
"The
Star of David ...
that the Greens wanted to impose."
The symbol was used by the Nazis during the Holocaust as a way of
identifying
Jews.
Greens leader Bob Brown jumped to his feet to interject.
"I
object to that
(remark) about the Star of David in the strongest terms
and I ask him to withdraw," he said.
Senator Bernardi conditionally agreed.
"I will withdraw the inference that the Star of David was the symbol
that the
Greens wanted to put on every Exclusive Brethren business," he said.
"Make no mistake that the Greens wanted to ensure that people of a
particular religious persuasion were going to be marked in their
businesses."
AAP bsb/r/cdh
