CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY

Australia, New Zealand and Oceania

13 September 2011

STATEMENT FROM CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY FOR ABC LATELINE

Draft preliminary findings were issued by the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) with a strict request for confidentiality. The Church of Scientology has at all times observed such a request. It is disappointing that other parties have not. The Church of Scientology has, in response to certain draft interim findings, responded with substantial submissions and has met with representatives of the FWO. Those submissions have not yet been responded to and we reiterate that any draft interim findings are just that. Further, in a media statement issued this afternoon, the FWO notes that the final Statement of Findings is likely to differ substantially from the initial draft. It is quite unfair, outrageous and highly unethical for any analysis of such draft finding to take place when they are not the final decision of the regulatory authority. We request that you do not publish any story on any draft preliminary findings as it is clear that you have not taken into account the FWOs request for confidentiality nor the substantial submissions led in reply by the Church, which may result in certain assertions being expunged from the report in which case dissemination and publication of that material would be defamatory and may give rise to a cause of action. We reiterate no findings have yet been issued by the Fair Work Ombudsman. Your suggestion that the Church of Scientology, upon reading the FWO draft finding, transferred its registration as an incorporated association from the NSW Office of

20 Dorahy Street, Dundas, NSW 2117 Australia Phone: 02-9638-5200 | Fax: 02-9680-0144 public_affairs@scientology.net.au | www.scientology.org.au

Fair Trading (OFT) to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) in order to avoid any orders flowing from the FWOs final finding is simply false. In late 2009 the NSW Office of Fair Trading instructed the Church of Scientology Australia (an incorporated association) to transfer its registration to ASIC so that we came under the Commonwealth Corporations Act (2001). We quote from correspondence dated 11 November 2009: In these circumstances the Registry considers the continued incorporation of the Association under the Act is no longer appropriate and formally requests the Association to voluntarily transfer its incorporation to a more suitable corporate structure under section 56 of the Act. The transition required a great deal of work by volunteer Church of Scientology staff and was only completed in May 2011. The suggestion that the change in registration was designed to circumvent any negative findings against the Church by the Fair Work Ombudsman is outrageous, wrong and defamatory. It would be humanly impossible to transfer registration from the OFT to ASIC in two days! The fact the transfer was completed two days after the FWO interim finding was released to the Church is purely coincidental. You state that you have spoken with Mike Rinder. He is not a credible source. He has an axe to grind and has a history of fabricating allegations against our Church.

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