By Rachael Ward
The Australian charity watchdog is investigating allegations against the Hillsong church of fraud, money laundering and tax evasion to fund lavish trips and lifestyles.
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie used parliamentary privilege on Thursday to claim tens of thousands of leaked financial records and documents show misuse of church funds.
Hillsong Founder Brian Houston “treated private jets like Ubers” according to independent MP Andrew Wilkie.Credit: Brook Mitchell
Hillsong has disputed the allegations, saying Wilkie’s remarks were out of context and based on “untested allegations” made by an employee in an ongoing legal case.
Wilkie said the money was spent on “the kind of shopping that would embarrass a Kardashian” and show former Hillsong leader Brian Houston, who stepped down from the role last year, “treating private jets like Ubers”.
Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit commissioner Sue Woodward released a statement on Friday saying that while the watchdog rarely commented on matters under investigation, she wished to correct the record after Wilkie claimed in parliament that her organisation, which has oversight of the not-for-profit sector, was not looking into the matter.
“I can confirm that we are investigating concerns raised about Hillsong Church charities. Hillsong has stated publicly that it is fully cooperating with regulatory authorities,” Woodward said.
Woodward said the commission had not received a whistleblower disclosure.
“Anyone can raise a concern about a charity with the ACNC,” Woodward said. “No matter where a concern originates, we use a standard independent process to review its details and, if necessary, we conduct an investigation. Any investigation we undertake must be thorough, comprehensive and consistent with our approach to all investigations. They can be complex and take time to complete.”
In a speech to parliament, Wilkie claimed Houston used church money for trips costing $179,000, and the documents tabled showed four Houston family members and friends spent $150,000 of church money on a luxury retreat in Cancun, Mexico in 2021.
It’s also alleged the new head of Hillsong, Phil Dooley, spent tens of thousands of dollars on business-class flights for him and his daughter.
“Hillsong followers believe that the money they put in the poor box goes to the poor but these documents show how that money is actually used to do the kind of shopping that would embarrass a Kardashian,” Wilkie said in parliament’s Federation Chamber.
“Sending millions of dollars of Australian charitable donations overseas is illegal in some circumstances,” he said.
Wilkie also alleged Hillsong earns $80 million more in Australian annual income than it reports publicly.
He said the leaked financial records and documents were provided to the Australian Taxation Office and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission under whistleblower protections, but they failed to act.
Education Minister Jason Clare said it was important the serious allegations were examined by those two bodies and the charities watchdog.
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen.
“If you are a member of the congregation and you’ve made donations to the church, then you’d be legitimately worried about where your money has gone here,” Mr Clare told Seven’s Sunrise program.
The security and investments commission says it is not responsible for regulating Hillsong as it is a registered charity.
In response, a Hillsong statement said the allegations were made under parliamentary privilege and were “in many respects wrong” and it was disappointing Mr Wilkie made no effort to contact the church first.
“If he did so we would have answered his questions and provided him with financial records to address his concerns,” the Hillsong statement said.
“Hillsong has sought independent legal and accounting advice on these matters since the employee involved in the legal case made these claims, and we believe that we have complied with all legal and compliance requirements.”
Houston is fighting accusations he concealed his late father’s child sexual abuse and has pleaded not guilty to a charge of concealing the crime until his father’s death in 2004.
The case will resume in June.
Hillsong announced in April 2022 it had accepted Houston’s resignation after it was found he had breached the church’s moral code by having inappropriate relations with two women.
AAP
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