Legal threat by Values Party

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33089, 2 December 1972, Page 1

Legal threat by Values Party

w (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, December 1. The Values Party says it may take legal action on reports that it was financed for the General Election by the National Party.

The leader (Mr A. Brunt) said today that he was concerned about reports spread by people connected with the Social Credit Political League and the New Democrat and Labour parties.

“Reports reaching us indicate that a member of the Labour Party central executive has been the main figure in this smear campaign,” said Mr Brunt.

"The individual campaigns of our candidates were financed by the candidates themselves, often at great personal expense. "The central organisation

benefited from a steady stream of small donation's which have enabled the party to cover most expenses, and put aside a small amount for future operations,” he said. “Our television advertisement, which has been the subject of much comment, was compiled by a group of film-makers who are members of the party at a total cost of $5O.

“The Values Party election campaign probably cost about $15,000 compared with budgets of well over $lOO,OOO for the Labour Party and National Party campaigns,” said Mr Brunt.