Australian television journalist Bryan Seymour is sending us messages from the scene of Scientology’s grand opening for its new “Advanced Org” in Chatswood, a suburb of Sydney.
Here are the messages we’re getting from him.
— The gates are open and guests are filing in. [Where are you in relation to what’s happening?]
— Just outside the property entrance. Very aggressive security — police just warned them against harassing the neighbors!
— We have a view of the ceremony — the traditional Aboriginal welcome to the country has begun.
— They have started with Chinese music and dancing dragon. Fitting for the many Taiwanese flown in to fill the seats.
— Kate Ceberano is singing now.
— The first “special guest speaker” is the former mayor of Auburn. Her council was sacked earlier this year and is currently being investigated for corruption by a special inquiry! Also – Auburn is nowhwere near Chatswood!
— The third speaker is Dr. Keith Thompson, Notre Dame University here in Sydney. He teaches religion and law, specializing in the sanctity of confessional confidence! He is also a Mormon.
— Now speaking is Associate Professor Gracelyn Smallwood, James Cook University in Queensland. I have no idea why on earth she is here!
— Professor Smallwood is now singing the praises of Volunteer Ministers. She sounds like she is reading from a Church of Scientology press release.
— Dr. David Bennett is talking. He is a barrister and expert in constitutional law, talking about the high court decision in 1983.
— David Miscavige is now talking. He says that at 145,000 square feet this is the largest Advanced Org in the world.
— He says this Org is the start of the journey to an OT civilization.
— Miscavige says this org will have 25 class 9 auditors and is literally shooting for the stars.
— Security has been flapping around in a panic because we have a vantage point and we are filming the speech!
— This org will also handle Scientology media productions for Australasia.
— The ribbon has dropped! “The doors are now open, it’s going to blow you away.”
— [How does Miscavige look? Nice pompadour?] Pompadour is as expected — coiffed and coloured for the occasion.
Bryan is now heading back to the studio to put together his report. We’re really looking forward to seeing the video he shot of Miscavige.
He interviewed your proprietor this week for some background on the facility that Scientology is opening there. We explained what an Advanced Org is — that it’s a facility not open to the public that only delivers highly specialized courses to wealthy Scientologists paying very high prices, hundreds of dollars an hour for counseling.
We pointed out that although Scientology is paying about $50 million on this project, and they have a huge facility — formerly a national acoustics lab — the church admitted in an environmental impact report that the Advanced Org will serve only about 87 customers on a given day.
In other words, David Miscavige is paying huge amounts for what will essentially be another very fancy but empty building in what is largely just a public relations effort.
As soon as we have a link to Bryan’s TV report, we’ll post it here.
UPDATE: And here’s the report that aired just minutes ago in Australia. Bryan tells us a longer version will be coming later.
UPDATE: Our thanks to Rod Keller for chasing down some snapshots of today’s opening in Chatswood, Australia of Scientology’s new “Advanced Org”…
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Posted by Tony Ortega on September 4, 2016 at 00:45
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BLOGGING DIANETICS: We read Scientology’s founding text cover to cover with the help of L.A. attorney and former church member Vance Woodward
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GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice
SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts
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