MINISTER UPHOLDS NZ. DEFENCE OBLIGATIONS

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30536, 3 September 1964, Page 3

MINISTER UPHOLDS NZ. DEFENCE OBLIGATIONS

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter)

WELLINGTON, September 2.

The call-up of one in five eligible youths in New Zealand for military training should not obscure the universality of the obligation to serve the country’s defence, said the Minister of Defence (Mr Eyre) in Parliament tonight.

He was referring to Opposition attacks on the compulsory military training scheme which the House debated on the second reading of the National Military Service Bill. The bill provides for the registration of youths for military training bn reaching the age of 20.

Opposition speakers claimed that voluntary training had failed and opposed compulsory training in peace time. It was not good enough, said Mr Eyre, to believe, as Opposition members did, in fighting to the last ally. New Zealand had to make its contribution to defence and voluntary systems of training had failed twice before to produce the required men.

In 1961, after the voluntary scheme had been operating for two years, only one-third of the 7764 national servicemen on the roll had fulfilled their training, were of an age for overseas service, or had the required medical fitness. TREATY OBLIGATIONS Mr R. M. Macfarlane (Opp., Christchurch Central) said the Labour Party was determined to meet treaty obligations, and believed in defending democracy. It was not, as a New Zealand periodical suggested, uninterested in defending the country, but it opposed compulsory training. The Minister of Labour (Mr Shand) Minister in charge of the bill, said the Government’s military advisers had advocated the reintroduction of compulsory military training to prevent the destruction of what had been a magnificent territorial army. The’ National Military Service Act was enacted in 1961 in something of a hurry because it was becoming apparent the territorial army was almost falling to pieces. The bill was purely a machinery amendment to allow youths to register for military training on reaching the age of 20, he said. The present system, in

which youths had to register when their birth dates were published in the Gazette, was not entirely satisfactory, and a number of youths had not registered because they did not realise they had to. It was found in the first year the number of youths who registered actually exceeded the number thought to be in that age group; in the second year the results were poor; and this year registrations were again approaching estimates. DEFAULTERS

Mr Shand said he had been concerned at the significant number of young men who had defaulted. Youths would have a continuing obligation under the bill to register till they were 21-and-a-half, compared with 21 under the present act. Mr W. A. Fox (Opp., Miramar) attacked the whole basis of compulsory military service. The system of selection by ballot was a gamble on a young man’s future, he said, and might upset his whole life. It was 20 years since World War II had finished. This was ample time to return to a voluntary system in line with all the other Commonwealth countries. The Labour Party believed in a mobile striking force ready to go anywhere in the world at a moment’s notice, and to fulfil United Nations obligations, he said.

ASIAN SPHERE New Zealand would never be a nuclear Power, but there would always be “bushfire” wars. The main sphere of concentration now appeared to be in South-east Asia, and because of this there was a real divergence of opinions on whether too much money was being spent on the land forces at the expense of the Navy and the Air Force, he said.

It was said the Army could not , compete with outside labour conditions, but it was noticeable that when more policemen were wanted salaries were increased and conditions were improved. One of the troubles of the volunteer scheme had been that employers had never cooperated because they were loath to see their young men go away to camp. Few people realised that the Labour Government had brought down a protection act for these young men so their jobs would remain open for them if they entered camp. Mr Maclntyre (Govt, Hastings) said Australia was considering the introduction of compulsory military training so she would be able to

meet all her military commitments. If New Zealanders accepted the principle that the State was all-high, then they must be prepared to accept the principle of doing their duty for it. ARMY’S NEEDS The Army needed 3000 men a year, and to get this it had to call up 5500 out of the 17,000 or 18,000 in the 20-year-old age group. An additional 800 men volunteered a year, but because of the intensive 14-week training put in at camps by those compulsorily called up, it meant the volunteers never caught up in training. Mr A. J. Faulkner (Opp., Roskill) said the attitude of employers seemed to break down the selective scheme. “The bill itself is not a fair go. It imposes responsibilities on youths in New Zealand at 20 to register but those away from the country only have to if they return 18 months after their 20th birthday. “Anyone desiring to get away at 19 could do so. No wonder employers treat it lightly." Mr Faulkner claimed the existence of the conscripts tended to break down the cohesiveness of the regular force as its members had to be used for training purposes. He suggested the Government should impose heavier taxes on “material things” to

provide more money for Army salaries.

Mr N. V. Douglas (Opp., Auckland Central) said when the Military Service Act of 1961 was brought in, members were assured all they had to do was pass the bill to have an efficient territorial army. At this stage the regular army was 1000 men short Mr Douglas said the scheme had not worked. “Do we detect from the Minister of Labour that his heart is not in the bill?” Mr Shand: You certainly do not Mr Douglas: This is an effort to get an army on the cheap. Mr A. E. Allen (Govt., Franklin): If the member had had any experience in the early part of the last war, he would not talk such nonsense. Mr Eyre said that the Labour view of “fighting to the last ally we’ve got” was a view held 50 years ago and though the party tried to shake off its disreputable beginnings it still subscribed to this. During World War 11, the Labour Government, headed by Mr Fraser whom he admired, had coped with the situation. It had to or get out. But any other government would have had to cope too. The debate was interrupted by the adjournment