Running with Tony Buti: Respected political journalist Peter Kennedy reflects on unconventional career path

I caught up with veteran political journalist Peter Kennedy at Mineral Resources Oval, Lathlain Park, next door to the home of Peter’s beloved Perth Football Club.

Tony Buti: Where does your love and devotion for the Perth Demons stem from?

Peter Kennedy: I had four great-uncles who were involved in the club when it was formed in 1899, and my grandfather was also involved. In 1907 when we won our first premiership, two of my great-uncles played, another great-uncle was the secretary, and a fourth great-uncle was the timekeeper, so it was a family affair.

TB: I noticed you have a spring in your step when you run. As a youngster were you a sprinter?

PK: I represented Aquinas College in sprinting in the 100 yards and 220 yards and had my share of wins. I also extended my range to 440 yards. Athletics was full on at Aquinas and the annual Inters (Interschool Track and Field competition between the Public Sports Association Schools) were exciting events. In my first year at Aquinas in 1957, we won the Inters which were held at the WACA. A year after the 1962 Perth Empire Games, the Inters moved to Perry Lakes Stadium.

The Empire Games inspired me to compete in interclub athletics. In 1964 I was a member of the Young Christian Workers Club’s 440 yards relay team that won the State relay title.

TB: Would it be true to say your priority was sport rather than your studies?

PK: That would be true, Tony. I arrived at Aquinas in Year 10 from Christian Brothers College on St Georges Terrace, where the Duxton Hotel now stands. It was my junior certificate year, so I had to knuckle down to my studies. From half past eight to half past three, it was full on, and then sport came after that, football, cricket and athletics.

TB: I believe after graduating from school in 1959 you tried to get a cadetship at The West Australian.

PK: That’s right. My appetite for journalism had been nurtured by doing leg work for my dad who did some football and cricket reporting for The Sunday Times. Anyhow, after missing out on the cadetship I applied to take up teaching. I thought journalism was probably closed off. I enrolled into Claremont Teachers College, who put me through the University of Western Australia. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in economics and a Diploma of Education I went teaching down at Bunbury High School for four years before coming back up to Perth to lecture in economics at Leederville Technical College.

TB: Did you enjoy your time in Bunbury?

PK: I enjoyed teaching at the school. Future Barnett government ministers Bill Marmion and John Castrilli were students at the school while I was there. And I enjoyed playing football for South Bunbury Football Club. A highlight which rivalled my selection in the 1963 combined Australian Universities football team was being a member of the 1966 South Bunbury premiership team in the South West Football League competition. I played on the wing. In the second semifinal I was concussed but satisfied “protocols” that applied at the time. Dr Ern Manea, long term Bunbury mayor (and former President of the South Bunbury Football Club) described the grand final as a “bloodbath”. Fights broke out before the first bounce and four players were reported. We beat Busselton by 12 points.

TB: You finally got your wish to join The West Australian in 1970.

PK: Lang Hancock and his business partner Peter Wright started up a new newspaper call The Sunday Independent. They recruited a number of journalists from The West Australian and the Daily News, offering them attractive salaries. This created vacancies at The West Australian and I was a beneficiary of that.

TB: In 1997 you went to work for The Sydney Morning Herald, first in Sydney as its State political correspondent and later as its chief of staff in the Canberra press gallery. In your opinion who were the standout politicians you observed while you were working on the other side of the country?

PK: I was fortunate to observe NSW premier Neville Wran from close quarters. He was a consummate politician, popular, decisive and good on television. I remember him telling me about an occasion when someone mentioned to him that he was always sartorially dressed. Wran responded, “just because I’m a Labor man doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be smartly turned out”.

Other outstanding politicians were of course Hawke and Keating. Keating was exciting to cover. And back in WA, I think overall we have been well served over many years by our premiers.

TB: You came back to Perth in 1984 to be the press secretary to deputy premier Mal Bryce, your former teaching colleague at Bunbury Senior High School, before rejoining The West Australian, and then on to the ABC working in radio, TV News and the WA edition of Stateline. After you returned to journalism from working with Mal Bryce, did you face questions about whether you could be objective and impartial?

PK: Oh, yes, there’s always questions. You can never please everybody all the time, it goes with the territory. One senior Liberal MP said to me, “I know you worked with the Labor deputy premier, and I’ll be watching you”. I just responded by saying, “Yeah, OK, good idea, that’s fine”. It was a little test that I had to work through. People responded differently to the same article or report.

TB: And your advice for young journalists?

PK: What was drummed into me, and I think is great advice, is you must put both sides of the story. And people deserve to know that they have had their point of view considered.