A CAMPAIGN to have the ban on scientology in three Australian States lifted was launched yesterday by the Church of the New Faith. It announced plans to present a British Medical Association report on psychotherapy practices used by scientologists to the parliaments of Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. The Church's Australian vice-president, the Reverend T. B. Minchin, said the BMA report "completely undermined" the investigation into scientology which led to the ban on its "psychological practices" in Victoria in 1965, ...

SCIENTOLOGY was banned in Victoria after an exhaustive 160-day inquiry in 1963-64, which yielded four million words of evidence. It was later banned in South Australia and Western Australia, and appeared on the decline. But South Australia has now decided to repeal its ban, and the Federal Opposition leader in the Senate, Senator Lionel Murphy, QC, says a Federal Labor Government would recognise the Scientology Church of the New Faith. Members of the Church of the New Faith intend to fight ...

TWO A.L.P. leaders yesterday came out in support of the Scientology Church of the New Faith. The party's Senate Leader, Senator Lionel Murphy, committed a Labor Government would recognise the church and South Australia announced it would repeal its ban on the church. Senator Murphy said a Labor Government would recognise he church in exactly the same way as any other religion. Under the Constitution, all religions were entitled to equal treatment. The Australian vice-president of the church, the Reverend T. ...

SCIENTOLOGISTS are to picket Parliament House in Melbourne indefinitely from tonight to draw attention to a seven-year-old restriction on scientology in Victoria. A spokesman said picketing would continue on sitting nights until the law was repealed.

A conviction against the Hubbard Association of Scientologists International Ltd. on a charge of practising scientology was quashed yesterday by the Full Court in Perth. Magistrate D. J. O'Dea had convicted and fined the association $200 in the Perth Court of Petty Sessions on April 11. It was alleged that between November 13, 1968, and January 28, 1969, the association practised scientology contrary to the Scientology Act, 1968. Mr Justice Burt said in a reserved decision that the association was registered ...

About 80 demonstrators picketed the Australian consulate office in New York today carrying signs reading: "Hitler lives in Australia," and "Australia has crimes against God." The demonstration, against the banning of Scientology in Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia, was peaceful. New Yorkers paid scant attention to the placard-bearers, who marched in a circle outside the building for two hours. The banner signs were puzzling: "Repeal Australia's anti-religion laws," "God? No," and "Australia, The British Alcatraz." But perhaps the most puzzling ...

The P.M.G. Department yesterday disconnected telephones at the headquarters of the Hubbard Association of Scientology Inc. in Hay-street, Perth. Two telephone technicians removed the 11 telephones and a telex machine from the building. Deputy Police Commissioner Wedd said that his department had asked the P.M.G. to disconnect the telephones. It was routine to make the request when a telephone was being used to contravene the law. Similar action had been taken against S.P. bookmakers who had used their telephones for taking ...

The Hubbard Association of Scientologists International Inc. yesterday was fined $200 on a charge of having practiced scientology. Magistrate D. J. O'Dea granted a stay of execution. It was the first prosecution against scientology since a bill banning its practice was passed by the W.A. parliament last November. Mr O'Dea, giving a reserved decision in the Perth Court of Petty Sessions, said: "I am satisfied on the evidence that the defendant did between the relevant dates practise scientology as charged and ...

Health Minister MacKinnon said yesterday that talks at the conference of Federal and State health ministers in Darwin had confirmed his belief that W.A. was becoming the stronghold for the scientology cult in Australia. He would discuss the problem with Police Minister Craig and Justice Minister Griffith because legal aspects did not come under his portfolio. He was concerned only with the mental health aspect of the cult. Mr MacKinnon, who had arrived from Darwin said scientology had been discussed at ...