Labor MP Andrew Charlton captured filming Liberal campaign volunteers in his electorate while asking what religion they worship

Sky News AU

29-04-2025

A Labor MP has been filmed asking to know the religion of Liberal Party volunteers in his own electorate.
In exclusive footage obtained by Sky News, member for Parramatta Andrew Charlton, with a phone in hand, approaches the person who is filming before asking: "Are you a member of the exclusive Brethren? Are you?"
The person filming then asked what the Parramatta incumbent would do if he were elected.
After delivering an answer, Mr Charlton was then asked what religion had to do with volunteering.
"Are you going to answer my question?" the MP asked.
The man responded: "Are you going to answer mine?" before Mr Charlton replied: "I'll take that as a no, see you later", and the video cut off.
Mr Charlton's question was in reference to the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church - previously known as the Exclusive Brethren, which has about 15,000 members in Australia, some of which abstain from voting on religious grounds.
The group was discussed in the election campaign on Tuesday as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese asked if there was a quid pro quo between the Liberal Party and members of the religious sect.
'Where are all these people coming from? Why are they campaigning?' Mr Albanese asked.
'They don't vote, by the way, but they all of a sudden have found this enthusiasm in their hundreds to travel around the country to hand out how-to-vote cards.
'What's the quid pro quo? What is going on there?'
Pictures also obtained by Sky News showed Mr Charlton approaching and appearing to film or take photos of several Liberal volunteers in Parramatta.
Sky News host Chris Kenny was left stunned by the MP's forthright questioning of volunteers, suggesting it was "odd" or potentially even "harassing" behaviour from the politician.
"What business is it of Charlton's to ask people about their religion. Why is it relevant?" Kenny asked on Tuesday night.
The host reached out to the MP and sent him questions about the incident, which had been ignored by the time The Kenny Report aired.
"The answer to Charlton's intrusion can be found in the attention that Labor is focusing on the Christian religious group, the Brethren," Kenny said.
"Is Anthony Albanese opposed to Christians? What business is it of his or Charlton's, what religion any single campaigner happens to be.
"I really reckon that Albanese and Charlton and Labor more generally, ought to show a bit more respect for religious freedom in this country, and stop interrogating people about what religious groups they may or may not belong to."
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton denied the Liberal Party had recruited volunteers from particular religions and took a dig at the Prime Minister's questioning of their involvement.
'The Prime Minister says that he hates Tories, Tory supporters etc – that's an issue for him,' he said.
'We're not discriminating against anybody on the basis of their religion. We have people, I suspect, every religious type, supporting us.'