The W.A. head of the organisation, Mr Michael Graham (26), said yesterday that it would continue to operate from its office in Hay-street, Perth.
Mr Graham said that his association had engaged a firm of lawyers and a queen's counsel.
The headquarters of the Hubbard Association of Scientologists International Ltd., in England, had promised unlimited funds for the W.A. branch to fight the legislation.
"We received a cable from England today telling us to stand firm and promising as much money as we required," Mr Graham said.
"We want it known that we have no intention of disbanding, and intend to leave the door of our offices wide open."
Mr Graham said his organisation had sent thousands of files on scientology business out of the State. A few had been retained and probably would be handed to the police. It would then be up to the police to prosecute.
The files sent out of W.A. were complete records of "confessional sessions" with people having scientology treatment. It was part of the organisation's code not to disclose personal secrets given in these sessions.
The association would fight to the end to have the government's legislation repealed. It would be preparted to go to the Privy Council if any of its leaders were convicted under the new law.
Police Minister Craig said yesterday that the police would not go out of their way to persecute people under the new legislation.
If the police learnt that the scientology organisation was continuing to practise or breaking the law, action would have to be taken.
Members of the organisation would be treated like anyone else who broke the law.
[The new legislation will become law as soon as it is signed by the Governor, Sir Douglas Andrew. This is expected to be later this week.]
The organisation has challenged Premier Brand, Health Minister MacKinnon and Works Minister Hutchinson to a television debate on scientology, but is still waiting for their replies.
Mr Graham said that the Hubbard Association was registered as a company in Perth in 1961. It was the State's only scientology organisation and had 23 full-time employees.
Its headquarters for Australia and New Zealand were in Wellington.
Asked who paid his wages, Mr Graham replied: "People pay for scientology services and this goes towards paying the wages of staff here."
It was a non-profit organisation, with profits invested in the promotion of scientology.
Mr Graham said he had been head of the Perth operations of the Hubbard Association since February this year.
He was born in Perth and studied at Wesley College. He said he graduated from the W.A. University in 1963 as a Bachelor of Science. He had worked for the association since then.
Mr Graham said that the association had 5,900 members in W.A. About 95 per cent of them lived in Perth.