Libs steer clear of Moore film
Sydney Morning Herald
By Richard Jinman
July 16, 2004

On the red carpet ... Laurie Brereton, above, at Fox Studios last night
with actor John Howard, below. "The Iraq war was brought to us by
warmongers and their cheer squad," Mr Brereton said. Photos: Wade Laube

David Oldfield went to the premiere of Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11
last night expecting a film "filled with lies of omission ... a very, very
dishonest attempt to discredit the Bush Administration".

"I do not support Michael Moore at all," said the NSW upper house MP and
One Nation co-founder, who describes the Academy Award-winning film-maker
as a "radical propagandist".

"I simply wish to be accurately informed of how inaccurate and biased the
movie is."

The Fahrenheit 9/11 premiere, at a cinema on the Fox Studios site,
attracted plenty of A-list celebrities. Moore's provocative account of the
Bush Administration's actions in the wake of the September 11, 2001
attacks drew a crowd including actor David Wenham, film critic Margaret
Pomeranz, broadcaster John Doyle, author Tom Keneally and fashion designer
Akira Isogawa.

But Mr Oldfield was one of just a handful of politicians in attendance. A
spokeswoman for the film's distributor, Hopscotch, said it had invited
"high-profile" members from every political party. In the event, only a
small group - including a smattering of representatives from the ALP, the
Greens and One Nation - attended. No representatives from the Liberal
Party were at the premiere, Hopscotch's spokeswoman said. The Liberal
Party's state director, Scott Morrison, and the general secretary for the
NSW ALP, Mark Arbib, both denied politicians had been told to stay away.
"Of course there's been no directive from the party," Mr Morrison said. "I
don't plan to attend. I'm busy."

Mr Arbib said: "People are encouraged to see it. I think most Labor
politicians will go to see it."

On the red carpet last night, the former Labor minister, Laurie Brereton,
said: "The Iraq war was brought to us by warmongers and their cheer squad.
They used propaganda to build the case for a war and I think it's good
we've got Michael Moore who has answered that propaganda."

Tom Keneally said: "I don't like the way Moore picks on lowly gatekeepers,
but he's putting the boot into this absurd business [the Iraq war] and I'm
all for him."

Justice Marcus Einfeld said: "I very much liked his work in Bowling for
Columbine and I'm hoping to see the same outspokenness and courage
tonight."

Controversy is a potent marketing tool and Moore's film is already a
box-office hit overseas. In the US it earned more than $US80 million ($111
million) in its first three weeks of release.

Bowling for Columbine, was Australia's highest earning documentary until
Morgan Spurlock's fast-food odyssey Super Size Me claimed the crown.