Libs sidestep Brethren claims in Tasmania

The Liberal Party is "simply not ruling out" its connection with the Exclusive Brethren religious sect during the last Tasmanian state election campaign.

However, Liberal Party State director Damien Mantach has denied any major, co-ordinated phone-canvassing campaign involving calls by Brethren members on behalf of the Liberals.

On Saturday, The Advocate revealed Brethren members were given "suggested" points or even "scripts" by the Liberal Party to guide their canvassing and political comment, according to a source, who declined to be named.

The source said the Brethren worked as a group to gather support for the Liberals and party candidates, particularly those with conservative views.

Yesterday, Mr Mantach rejected the claims but refused to be drawn on specific details about the phone canvassing links.

"We have 25 candidates that contested the March election," Mr Mantach said.

"Each could have anywhere between 10 to 100 volunteers undertaking certain campaign tasks and I'm simply not ruling out that a Brethren member may have assisted a candidate making some advocacy phone calls, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with them doing that."

The campaign link follows controversy over half-page Brethren newspaper ads billed to Liberal Party accounts.

Both the Brethren and Liberals completely denied the Liberals paid for the ads.

Meanwhile, Exclusive Brethren senior national representatives, based in NSW, have distanced the church from the ads, placed in Tasmanian newspapers by Brethren members Trevor Christian, David Urquhart and Roger Unwin, which slammed the Greens over their drugs, transgender and intersex policies.

Warwick John and Phil McNaughton said the religious persuasions of the trio were irrelevant.

"The tone of the media's coverage of this issue smacks of religious stereotyping," the pair said.