Is the Australian Federal Government helping to pay for Ascot Vale?

[mate]

Melbourne School Linked to Scientology Received $300,000 in Federal Stimulus Money

John Masanauskas
From: Herald Sun
December 03, 2009

A MELBOURNE school linked to the controversial Church of Scientology received $300,000 in funding from the federal stimulus package.
Yarralinda, in Mooroolbark, is one of two schools in Australia that uses the teaching methods of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd recently expressed concerns about the Church of Scientology after independent senator Nick Xenophon made serious claims against the organisation under parliamentary privilege.

Last week, the State Government told its schools not to distribute materials by a Scientology-funded group called Youth for Human Rights after it was revealed it organised a year 9 art prize.

Yarralinda, which boasts it is a "no homework school", says on its website it uses the Applied Scholastics method developed by Hubbard. The private school's patron is Scientologist Kate Ceberano.

Tom Cruise, a prominent church member, is a global ambassador for Applied Scholastics.

Yarralinda received $250,000 for a multi-purpose hall and $50,000 for refurbishment under the Federal Government's education stimulus package.
It will also get $340,000 over four years in federal aid for private schools and is given state government funding based on enrolment numbers.

Senator Xenophon said it was inconsistent that governments were banning Scientology-funded groups from state schools while the Federal Government was providing hundreds of thousands of dollars in stimulus money to schools directly linked to the organisation.

Yarralinda principal Christel Duffy, a Scientologist, said her school offered a broad curriculum and met all government requirements for public funding.
"Our focus is on nurturing students' natural abilities to equip them with both job skills and life skills," she said.

Church of Scientology spokeswoman Vicki Dunstan said Yarralinda was a secular school independent from the church.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/me...l-stimulus-money/story-e6frf7jo-1225806364542

It has been estimated that the school’s current enrolment is somewhere between 17 and 30 pupils.

As stated elsewhere, a mortgage was taken out by the board of the school for some $1,000,000 which was given to the Ideal Org Fund in Melbourne for the purchase of the Ascot Vale property. Apparently the school board had received pledges from three scientologists, who are now, no longer scientologists. While the interest rate is unknown, it is probably in the order of 8% if not greater. This means that interest payments would be accruing at something like $80,000 per annum, which is well in excess of the total fees received for the pupils, which I suspect, would be less than half this amount, which would have to cover all their running costs as well.

So where is the balance of this $80,000 coming from? They wouldn’t be using their federal aid of $340,000 over four years, surely. If they were, this would mean that the Federal Government is effectively paying for a substantial part of the Ascot Vale property for the Church of Scientology, and I don’t think that such would have been the intention of this aid.

Just a thought.

David.

 

[Panda Termint]

A thought well worth investigating.

 

[Carmel]

All the scoop on this (along with docs backing it up, which Scooter can provide), have already been forwarded to those who need the info.

 

[Doom]

All the scoop on this (and docs from Scooter that will back it up), have already been forwarded to those who need the info.

OH YEAH, more footbullets.

 

[mate]

I said before that you are a gem and what have have achieved, was amazing. You have now surpassed that. You are, without doubt, right on top of every aspect of the whole operation. Absolutely brilliant.... and you still have time to do interviews!!! Remind me never to become an adversary or opponent. Now, if you need a personal manager ........

Regards, David.

All the scoop on this (along with docs backing it up, which Scooter can provide), have already been forwarded to those who need the info.

 

[Aerial]

I said before that you are a gem and what have have achieved, was amazing. You have now surpassed that. You are, without doubt, right on top of every aspect of the whole operation. Absolutely brilliant.... and you still have time to do interviews!!! Remind me never to become an adversary or opponent. Now, if you need a personal manager ........

Regards, David.

Yes, she certainly is a gem (you are too) and hats off to Scooter as well



You people are amazing