Scientology Tries To Racketeer Names of Victims in Aftermath

The Australian: Bushfire volunteer's 'pay docked' [January 31, 2006]

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17993964%255E29277,00.html

QANTAS has been accused of docking the pay of a volunteer firefighter who helped battle raging bushfires in Victoria last week.

(SNIP)

Meanwhile, the Church of Scientology has denied suggestions it tried to recruit new members during the height of the bushfire crisis.

The denial comes after claims today that two members of the Church of Scientology approached Ararat Rural City Council for the identities of bushfire victims.

"They were seeking to assist wherever they could, particularly with counselling, and were seeking to get some information from council about the whereabouts =96 names and addresses of people who'd been affected," chief executive Bill Braithwaite told ABC Radio.

"Our staff were concerned, we have procedures here and The Privacy Act applies and no details were given out."I'm told they were fairly insistent."

But Church of Scientology spokeswoman Pauline Priest said members were invited to a community bushfire meeting and only made sandwiches.

"There wasn't any under-handedness, we never do that," she told the ABC."We were offering to help with whatever people needed and as it turned out, at this particular time, it was to make the sandwiches. Of course our volunteer ministers are trained to help people."

The Australian