Church leaders have denied their role in coordinating the involvement of members in the campaign.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gareth Hales, Mr Hales’s son, said he met with Chris De Bruyne and Morgan C Jonas, figures described by independent MP Andrew Gee as “far right”, during the campaign.<\/p>\n
But he described the encounters as “brief” business meetings, and said he was unaware of their political affiliations at the time.<\/p>\n
Mr Hales Jnr also revealed he met then-opposition leader Peter Dutton at a petrol station media event, which he had heard about through “word of mouth”.<\/p>\n
“I don’t recall, but I dare say it was probably a friend of a friend,” he said.<\/p>\n
He denied allegations that a company he formerly associated with, Sante Global, paid Neo-Nazi associates to disrupt Anthony Albanese’s campaign.<\/p>\n
Mr Hales Jnr said his own involvement in the election was limited to volunteering at four polling booths and maintained he had only a “very, very light-touch” role.<\/p>\n
He admitted to encouraging some church members, but did not specify how many people he counselled, or the nature of his encouragement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“I didn’t direct or coordinate, but yes, if I was on a call, a leader is expected to encourage, inspire, if at all possible,” he said.<\/p>\n
It was also revealed members of the PBCC, which has a global congregation of 56,000, had met with US President Donald Trump in New York, although Mr Hale was not present.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The line of questioning of both senior PBCC men was likened to a “witch hunt” by Coalition members, with Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie going as far as accusing the committee of religious discrimination.<\/p>\n
Where did ‘Make Australia Smile Again’ come from?<\/p>\n
The committee spent considerable time litigating the origin of signs reported in several electorates that read “Make Australia Smile Again”.<\/p>\n
Mr Hales was questioned about the similarity to a sermon he gave the month before the election, in which he urged parishioners to pray for “good government” because Australia “needed to be happy again, smiling again”.<\/p>\n
He agreed that it was rare for his message, sent online to church members around the world, to be misinterpreted.<\/p>\n
“Very, very rarely do I have to go back and explain what I meant,” he said.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/2fc5bc8f5399f69d9eb1b58fb03f96dc.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Bruce Hales has rejected claims he was involved in any coordinated Liberal Party campaign. (ABC News: Mark Moore)<\/p>\n
Asked whether his four sons, one of whom was later photographed campaigning, interpreted that as an endorsement for the Liberal Party, Mr Hales said he did not know.<\/p>\n
“I think if they had asked me about them and asked permission [to campaign], I would have denied it,” he said.<\/p>\n
“The first indication I had that my eldest son was out on the polling booths was a photograph in the paper, and I was a bit surprised.”<\/p>\n
Mr Hales Jnr gave evidence he never saw the “Make Australia Smile Again” signs and was surprised when the Liberal Party’s internal review described Brethren members involved in the campaign as a support group.<\/p>\n
“I was not aware that was how the Liberals regarded us,” he said.<\/p>\n
When pressed on who he meant by “us”, Mr Hales said he was referring simply to members of the Australian public.<\/p>\n
Fiery Coalition members label questioning a ‘witch hunt’<\/p>\n
Chair Jerome Laxale said there had been “thousands and thousands” of church members who “flooded” polling booths during the campaign.<\/p>\n
Mr Hales Jnr pushed back, asking how Mr Laxale knew those people at the polling booths were Brethren members.<\/p>\n
“It was well documented,” Mr Laxale said.<\/p>\n
The inquiry was littered with interjections from Coalition members, who described the line of questioning as a “witch hunt”.<\/p>\n
![\"Jerome](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/4f16f0d97f01c0dea778dcbb12615cf1.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Jerome Laxale says it is important for senior church figures to address unanswered questions. (ABC News: Callum Flinn)<\/p>\n
Liberal senator Richard Colbeck repeatedly interrupted questioning and labelled the hearing “ridiculous”.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“This is not the Spanish Inquisition,” Senator Colbeck said.<\/p>\n
Bruce Hales’s role in the church<\/p>\n
Mr Hales told the committee he succeeded his father, John Hales, as the senior elder and was not elected but assumed the position “spontaneously”.<\/p>\n
He said members followed his teachings, which they believed came from God.<\/p>\n
“I would think that they would say that what I get, I get from the Lord,” he said.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese previously described the Brethren as a cult, which Mr Hales rejected.<\/p>\n