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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 36, Number 16. 12th July 1973

Tony's Baby — An Unbiased Reply

Tony's Baby — An Unbiased Reply

Dear Sir,

I have read your article on the Values Party, entitled "The Growing Pains of Tony's Baby" and have tried to learn some lessons from it. But the report is so biased and unfactual that the task is almost not worth the effort.

A point-by-point rebuttal and correction would be about as long and boring as the article, and what's the use anyway — most people know that Salient 1973 will try to screw any political party that does not expound the required form of juvenile Marxist diarrhoea.

It is interesting — and revealing — to note that the author of the article, Mr Les Atkins, choose to hide behind the pen-name of "Lynette Collins".

It just goes to prove the old journalistic axiom that if a writer is too gutless to sign his article then it should not be printed.

Salient readers will be interested to know that Mr Atkins was the anonymous reporter who conducted a taped interview with me for a recent issue. Dear old Lynette went to great pains to reproduce all my "ums" and "ahs" but edited his own questions so that they came out smooth, assured and mumble-free.

Up yours sincerely,

Tony Brunt

Regional Co-Ordinator Values Party

[1. The article was researched and written by more than one person.

2. As far as the interview is concerned: (a) An offer to familiarise Mr Brunt with the line of questioning prior to the taping was refused: (b) Most of Mr Brunt's "ahs" and all of his "ums" were cut by those editing the interview — hesitancy was retained when considered revealing: (c) Prior to the publication Mr Brunt was given an edited copy of the interview. He confirmed that it was a fair and accurate representation of tone, balance etc. He requested four changes, three of which were made. The fourth was his reply to a question suggesting that he might be happy for the media to propogate the view that he is leader of the party. Readers can decide whether his reply should have been smoothed out more than it was. (d) Mr Brunt was asked after publication whether he was happy with the interview. He replied that he was. —Ed.]