Richard Court, “The Workers Party,”
The Sydney Morning Herald, April 1, 1976, p. 6, as a letter to the editor.

Sir, I cannot allow your feature article on the Workers Party (March 23) to pass without comment.

First, I find it difficult to reconcile the description of the Workers Party as “right-wing anarchists” with our actual aims and beliefs.

Anarchists are, by definition, those who believe in complete lawlessness through an absence of any laws. The Workers Party believes it absolutely necessary that all individuals in any society be protected by law against the initiation of force, fraud or coercion by any other person or group of people. Our only criterion for such laws is that they apply equally to individuals, groups and Governments.

Second, the greater part of the article was comprised of random quotation from Free Enterprise, a periodical edited and published by Merilyn Giesekam and in no way endorsed or authorised by the Workers Party — and the two primary comments I would make with regard to that are:

1. That Merilyn Giesekam, as a member of the WP or otherwise, is entitled to her personal opinions about the party and its so-called people in power, and to publish them as she sees fit. Indeed, it is basic WP policy that she, and every one else in our community, should have that right.

2. Because Merilyn Giesekam expresses her opinions, as she has (or, for that matter, that Mr John Singleton, quaintly categorised by her as “the most powerful man in the Workers Party today,” has expressed certain opinions), does not mean that Workers Party policy is in accordance with them.

I would also reject the implicit classification of members of the Workers Party into “older conservatives” and “younger libertarians.” The party’s membership covers an extremely wide spectrum of people of all ages, from all walks of life — all of whom share a sincere and basic belief in the fundamental principle that no person or group of people has the right to initiate the use of force, fraud or coercion against another person or group of people.

Finally, but not least significantly, I reject your suggestion that the Workers Party is embarking upon “a desperate bid to become the only significant minority party.” The future of our society depends upon people not only being prepared, but at all times being able, to express disagreement and dissatisfaction — and to be able to do that effectively.

ROGER COURT
Chairman,
NSW Assembly of The Workers Party,
Darlinghurst