Better Believe It: Steve Cannane on Scientology in Australia

Secretive, star-studded and litigious – the Church of Scientology holds a risky, irresistible allure for a certain kind of investigative journalist.

There’s been some excellent reporting on Scientology in recent years, including documentaries from Alex Gibney (Going Clear) and Louis Theroux (My Scientology Story). Now, Walkley Award-winning journalist Steve Cannane digs deeper into the local activities of the religion with his new book, Fair Game.

Scientology and Australia have had a strange, troublesome history. In 1963, the world’s first official government inquiry into Scientology was held here, and the state of Victoria subsequently (and briefly) became the first place in the world where the religion was banned.

At the Wheeler Centre, Cannane’s focus is the church’s more recent history in Australia. He discusses the writing and research of Fair Game and his fascinating findings on the church’s recruitment of James Packer, its dispute with Julian Assange and its role in exposing abuses in Australian psychiatric facilities. He also addresses some broader questions about Scientology. Is the myth of Xenu any wackier than that of the virgin birth? How much does prejudice play into media discussions of the religion? And why are non-believers so fascinated by Scientology?

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