REQUEST BY R.S.A.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 152, 29 June 1945, Page 6

REQUEST BY R.S.A.

HEARING BY HOUSE

ATTITUDE TO DEFAULTERS

P.A. WELLINGTON, this day. At a special meeting of the New Zealand R.S.A. Dominion executive committee held on Monday it was decided to request the acting-Prime Minister, Mr. Nash, to summon representatives of the New Zealand R.S.A. to appear before the bar of the House of Representatives in order to place the association's views on the question of the release of military defaulters before Parliament. The request was based on the fact that, notwithstanding that the Parliamentary Committee which dealt with petitions in connection with those detained in detention camps, presented an unfavourable finding, which was endorsed by Parliament, the Government had seen fit to adopt and gazette regulations which enable any,military defaulter to apply to the Director of National Service for release from, defaulters' detention, and empowered the release of such defaulters on parole, either indefinitely, or for a period.

In the letter conveying its request, the association informed the actingPrime Minister that the request, together with the Government's reply would be handed to the Press. The New Zealand R.S.A. to-day received the reply which stated that no Minister of the Crown had power to summon persons before the bar of the House. It then went on to describe the normal procedure when anyone desired to place his views before Parliament. The letter concluded: "The revision authorities which have been set up under the regulations have already commenced their proceedings, which are of a judicial nature and the Government cannot, therefore, interfere in any way with the authorities by suspending the regulations or otherwise."

(Reference to the debate in Parliament on defaulters appears on page 8.)