‘Monstrous lie’ Australian

Press, 10 June 1977, Page 2

‘Monstrous lie’ Australian

NZPA Sydney The secretary of the Victorian branch of the Amalgamated Metal Workers’ Union (Mr John Halfpenny) yesterday described as “a monstrous lie” any suggestion that he was Involved in a plot to assassinate the New Zealand Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon).

Evidence of his alleged involvement was given in the Magistrate’s Court at Wellington during the hearing of a case against Garv Graeme Haugh, aged 22, charged with threatening io kill Mr Muldoon.

Mr Halfpenny, an avowed Communist, said when telephoned by NZPA at his Melbourne office that it was the first he had heard of the allegation.

He said he had never heard of Haugh, or of two other men named in evidence given by Detective Sergeant Mervyn Theobald — Peter Hull and Archie Buller.

According to Sergeant Theobald, Haugh cited Hull as “the hit-man” and Buller as “the arms-man” during an interview. He said Hui! and Buller had been offered a substantial sum of monev by a John Halfpenny, whom he described as a “leader of the socialists in Australia and a member of Parliament.” Mr Halfpenny said he could not think of anyone else in Australia other than himself to whom the description applied, even though he had never been a member of Parliament. “There is absolutelv no truth in it.” he said. “It is a monstrous lie."