# Tony Brunt

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New Zealand politician

Tony Brunt Brunt in 1976 1st Leader of the Values Party In office 30 May 1972 – 25 August 1974 Deputy Geoff O'Neill Succeeded by Reg Clough Member of the Wellington City Council In office 12 October 1974 – 11 October 1980 Constituency At-large Personal details Born Anthony John Brunt 1947 (age 78–79) Auckland, New Zealand Party Values Alma mater Victoria University Profession Journalist

**Anthony John Brunt** (born 1947) is a New Zealand journalist, activist and politician. He was the founder and leader of the environmentalist [Values Party](/source/Values_Party) in the 1970s.

## Biography

### Early life

Brunt was born in [Auckland](/source/Auckland) in 1947 and later became a journalist. He has [Samoan](/source/Samoans) ancestry.[1] He briefly changed profession and became a [trade union](/source/Trade_union) organiser before returning to his career in journalism.[2] He then moved to [Wellington](/source/Wellington) to study [political science](/source/Political_science) at [Victoria University of Wellington](/source/Victoria_University_of_Wellington).[3]

### Political career

Brunt became politically active and formed the environmentalist [Values Party](/source/Values_Party) in the early 1970s and served as its inaugural leader. He founded the party to serve as a response to the "barren and miniaturist" political culture that existed in New Zealand at the time.[4] Then aged 25, Brunt was the youngest leader of a political party in New Zealand history.[5] He went on to contest the [Wellington](/source/Wellington) electorate of [Island Bay](/source/Island_Bay_(New_Zealand_electorate)) at the [1972 election](/source/1972_New_Zealand_general_election), where he placed third out of six candidates, gaining 7.6% of the vote.[6]

Two years later, he [stood for the Wellington mayoralty](/source/1974_Wellington_City_mayoral_election) and City Council on a Values ticket. He placed third for mayor but was easily elected to the council. Brunt's candidacy for the mayoralty was viewed as having [drawn away](/source/Vote_splitting) many left-wing voters from the [Labour Party](/source/New_Zealand_Labour_Party). Labour mayor [Frank Kitts](/source/Frank_Kitts) lost office in a very close race and blamed the Values vote for his defeat.[7] In [1977](/source/1977_Wellington_City_mayoral_election) he again stood for both positions and was again elected only as a councillor, topping the poll with more votes than any other candidate.[8] Brunt opposed extending the [Wellington Urban Motorway](/source/Wellington_Urban_Motorway) to the foot of [Mount Victoria](/source/Mount_Victoria_(Wellington_suburb)).[9] While he was a member of the Council, Brunt was also employed by the [Commission for the Environment](/source/Parliamentary_Commissioner_for_the_Environment) as an investigating officer.[10] He did not stand for re-election in 1980.

### Later activities

In the 1980s Brunt was chairman of the campaign committee of the Save the Rivers campaign to protect New Zealand's best wild and scenic rivers.[11] Brunt later moved back to Auckland and settled in the suburb of [Hillsborough](/source/Hillsborough%2C_Auckland). In 2000, he became the chairman of the Friends of Puketutu Trust, a lobby group campaigning for the [Manukau Harbour](/source/Manukau_Harbour) island of [Puketutu](/source/Puketutu_Island) to be classified as a regional park.[12]

## Publications

- Brunt, Tony. & Samoa Historical and Cultural Trust. (2017). [*To walk under palm trees : the Germans in Samoa : snapshots from albums*.](https://www.worldcat.org/title/1030297521?oclcNum=1030297521) Apia, Samoa : Samoa Historical & Cultural Trust. OCLC 1030297521. ([Online e-book edition.](https://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/webarchive/20160305190029/http://germansinsamoa.net/))

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Vui-Talitu, Sara (28 April 2017). ["Rare photos underpin new book on German-era Samoa"](https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/329670/rare-photos-underpin-new-book-on-german-era-samoa). *[Radio New Zealand](/source/Radio_New_Zealand)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** "New Councillor". *[The Evening Post](/source/The_Evening_Post_(New_Zealand))*. 16 October 1974.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Davison, Isaac (30 May 2012). ["Political party marks 40 year milestone"](http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10809555). *[The New Zealand Herald](/source/The_New_Zealand_Herald)*. Retrieved 10 December 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** O'Brien, Tova (1 June 2012). ["Forty years since first green party"](https://web.archive.org/web/20161220073801/http://www.newshub.co.nz/politics/forty-years-since-first-green-party-2012060121). *Newshub*. Archived from [the original](http://www.newshub.co.nz/politics/forty-years-since-first-green-party-2012060121) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** "Tony Brunt, 'Reluctant Midwife' to Lusty, Growing Values Party". *[The Evening Post](/source/The_Evening_Post_(New_Zealand))*. 18 November 1972. p. 5.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTENorton1988256_6-0)** [Norton 1988](#CITEREFNorton1988), pp. 256.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** "Values Eye No. 1 City Job". *[The Dominion](/source/The_Dominion_(Wellington))*. 20 April 1977.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Smyth, A.J. (25 October 1977). Declaration of Election Results (Report). [Wellington City Council](/source/Wellington_City_Council).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Yska, Redmer (2006). *Wellington: Biography of a City*. Auckland: [Reed Books](/source/Reed_Books). p. 216. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780790011172](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780790011172).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** "Values Name Three More Candidates". *[The Evening Post](/source/The_Evening_Post_(New_Zealand))*. 20 April 1977.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["River protection 'inadequate'"](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19811021.2.73). *[The Press](/source/The_Press)*. 21 October 1981. p. 11.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Rudman, Brian (23 August 2000). ["Gem of an idea for our project"](http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=148717). *[The New Zealand Herald](/source/The_New_Zealand_Herald)*. Retrieved 23 February 2017.

## References

- Norton, Clifford (1988). *New Zealand Parliamentary Election Results 1946–1987: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science*. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-475-11200-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-475-11200-8).

## External links

- [Tony Brunt: 50 years since founding the Values Party.](https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018845483/tony-brunt-50-years-since-founding-the-values-party) Interview on [RNZ](/source/Radio_New_Zealand), 11 June 2022

Party political offices New political party Leader of the Values Party 1972–1974 Succeeded by Reg Clough

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