Related
Translate
Previous entry: Slimming clubs weigh into trademark war over who has the right to ’sin’
Next entry: Father of slain baby testifies
Get RNB via RSS
 |
RNB's RSS feed What is this? |
Get RNB via Email
 |
 Subscribe by Email What is this? |
Follow: Twitter
Most Popular
This Week:
- Polygamist Sect Leader Convicted of Sexual Assault
- Jury takes 14 minutes to convict self-proclaimed pot pastor
- Supreme Court upholds cult AUM Shinrikyo members’ death sentences
- Newspaper continues series of exposés of Scientology cult
- Epic Mohammad movie in pipeline
- Coptic Christian Blogger in Egypt Pressured to Convert to Islam in Prison
- Italian judge convicts 23 in CIA kidnapping of Muslim cleric
- Cult leader Warren Jeffs’ attorneys argue sect leader faced wrong charge
- Texas judge limits some records in FLDS trial over polygamy references
- Photos show birthing center at sect’s Texas ranch
Department did not verify Hillsong references
More articles on this topic: Hillsong ChurchA federal department failed to check whether an Aboriginal group, named by the Hillsong church in a grant application, supported the project.
The church’s charitable arm, Hillsong Emerge, has been stripped of a $414,479 federal grant after claims that it obtained the funds by deceiving the Aboriginal community that was supposed to benefit from it.
Hillsong Emerge first applied for a grant of almost $500,000 with the support of the Riverstone Aboriginal Community Association, in Sydney’s northwestern suburbs.
It withdrew the application and submitted a second, which led to its being granted $414,479 in August last year – a grant announced by John Howard.
But the second grant application used letters of support and ideas from RACA, allegedly without the permission of the indigenous body.
Attorney-General’s Department assistant secretary Dianne Heriot told a Senate estimates hearing yesterday that the department looked for evidence of local partnerships with indigenous groups.
But asked by Labor senator Trish Crossin whether the reference letters were verified in some way, Dr Heriot said: “We accept the letters, Senator.”
Dr Heriot said other checks were undertaken on the eligibility of the organisation, the nature of the project, local need and previous applications for funding.
The hearing was told the department became aware of problems with the grant application through gossip, and asked for a meeting with Hillsong and its partners in the project.
A meeting in October revealed that RACA was disenchanted with the project, and the next month NSW state Labor MP Ian West claimed in parliament that Hillsong Emerge misused the Riverstone Aboriginal community to get taxpayers’ money for its own purposes.
When Hillsong Emerge did not reply to two letters from the department in December and January querying whether the project could be delivered, a decision was made to withdraw the grant on February 1.
RACA spokeswoman Vilma Ryan said the events in federal parliament showed Hillsong Emerge “can’t be trusted to work with indigenous communities”. “The federal Government needs to explain why it never checked up on statements made in the Hillsong Emerge application.
“We call on Hillsong Emerge to come clean on this whole matter. Come on, Hillsong Emerge. What’s the story? Are you big enough to apologise?”
A spokeswoman for Hillsong did not return calls.
What You Can Do From Here
|
Read More Articles On These Topics
Share, Blog About, Bookmark, or Email This Article
Subscribe
Read Another Article
Previous entry: Slimming clubs weigh into trademark war over who has the right to ’sin’ Next entry: Father of slain baby testifies
RNB Homepage with latest headlinesFind Related Information
Find Related Books
|
Share This Article
To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:
