A RESPONSE TO MERYL DOREY’S LETTER OF 7 SEPTEMBER 2009 TO THE HCCC

[This is Ken McLeod's response to Meryl Dorey's letter of 7 September 2009 to the HCCC]

Firstly, I should explain why it took me over 6 weeks to respond to Meryl Dorey’s attack on
me. I was unaware of her letter of 7 September until a week ago, 16 October 2009. The HCCC, in accordance with Meryl Dorey’s begging that it not be sent to me, conformed to her request, as is proper. I remained unaware of the untrue defamatory statements made about me until a friend notified me that Meryl Dorey had posted the letter on the AVN website.

So, to expose Meryl Dorey’s first piece of hypocrisy, she wrote in her letter:

“I (Meryl Dorey) and the AVN strenuously request that the contents of the attached response
be dealt with by the HCCC on a strictly confidential basis and not be provided to Mr McLeod
until a final decision has been reached.“ And

“I (Meryl Dorey)and the AVN request that the HCCC use the attached response for the
purposes of assessing the complaint only, and not be provided to Mr McLeod or any group
with which he is associated.” And

“I (Meryl Dorey) fear that the provision of our response to him will just generate more
hostility and aggression by him towards the AVN.”

Then she went and posted it on her website.¹ Obviously, her appeal to the HCCC to keep the letter from me because of my supposed behaviour was a sham.

Next, Meryl Dorey makes quite defamatory and damaging allegations against me such as:

“Mr McLeod has made numerous direct communications to the AVN and myself via email
communication over the last few years, and such communications have been very rude and
aggressive in tone and intimidating in nature, particularly towards myself. I have found
dealing with this man very distressing and hurtful,” and

“the threat that he poses and continues to pose to me and my family is very real….” and

“I can give no explanation for the ferocity with which he pursues both myself and the AVN….”

WOW!! “Hostility”, “aggression”, “rude”, “aggressive” “intimidating” “threat” “ferocity” “pursues.”
These are very serious allegations against me. This is not the first time that Meryl Dorey has
defamed me; see her email of Tuesday 1 Tuesday, 1 September 2009 2:52 PM, (attached) in which she says inter alia:

“In conjunction with the HCCC complaint, several anti‐AVN websites have sprung into
existence, some of them inciting violence against AVN activities and myself.” (Dorey), and

“Due to these threats, for the first time in 16 years, we hired a security guard…….”

Meryl Dorey’s implication, that I was knowingly working in conjunction with people who have incited violence, is very clearly a defamation, and actionable. But wait! as they say, there’s more!

In her email, she alleges that;

I lied: “Despite his denial of involvement with the Skeptics…………,”
I am an atheist and hater: “………..the non‐Skeptics who hate God, complementary health, the AVN and me…….”(Dorey);
I am gullible: I “accept without question anything that is mainstream, drug based, genetically engineered or approved by scientists who often have strong financial links to the products they are recommending.”
I am a defamer: my supposed “slanderous letters written by the author of the HCCC complaint”,

So this led to my email of 1 September to her in which I said that I entirely rejected all of her
baseless allegations, and asked her where I have engaged in threats and intimidation. I also
requested that she issue a retraction and apology. My response to her baseless allegations was entirely appropriate. She has never replied to this email.

I do not know why Meryl Dorey makes these allegations against me, except perhaps to gather sympathy and to denigrate my original complaint to the HCCC by denigrating me. So, let us look at the evidence, let us look at the emails she complains of. I have gone back though my records and found the emails, which are attached. (In the last email sent today, I have asked her to confirm that no emails are missing. If I get a response, that will be posted here.) Readers will note that Meryl Dorey’s allegations are baseless, untrue, fabricated, fictitious, mendacious, falsehoods.

Let’s not indulge in euphemisms and allusions here, let’s not beat about the bush; her allegations relating to my behaviour are lies.

See for yourself.

Ken McLeod
23 October 2009

Sources:

1. http://avn.org.au/library/images/pdfs/hccc_reply.pdf