INDEPENDENT GROUP

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 271, 11 August 1943, Page 8

INDEPENDENT GROUP

Question 01 Access To Men Overseas Charges that tlie Government and Opposition have entered into ait agreement which will have the eltect oi ix eluding the Independent Group troni placing their policy before service personnel overseas were levelled yesterday by a spokesman for the group in telegrams sent to the Prime .Minister and the leader of the Opposition, and signed by A. 1 . Harper, Dominion Secretary, Independent The’ telegram to the Prime Minister stated: "A week ago we asked that an election committee, representing all election interests, be set up to ensure that an received fair and equal treatment tn the facilities made available for informing service personnel overseas of the issues involved in this election. In your reply you stated that our views had been noted and would receive consideration. ' week has gone by and nothing has been heard. Less than seven weeks now remain before the election, and it will be virtually impossible for policies and opinions to be printed and distributed to the troops overseas in all theatres of war in this time. The Independent Group has so far not. received one word of adiicc of the proposed arrangements. Can yon denv that you have held discussions with the Leader of the Opposition.' Can you denv that the methods to be employed have been agreed upon? Can you deny that the political parties are preparing their material accordingly? Can you deny in short, that the parties are prepared and ready to present their cases to overseas service personnel.'Can you deny that this material is not already on its way overseas? We ask these questions because we believe the country has a right to know whether the democratic privileges of the men overseas are being guarded by .the parties, or whether they are being usurped by the parties. . . The telegram to the Leader of the Opposition follows the same lines, the Independent Group states that Mr. Ilolitand merely acknowledged receipt of its earlier" request for the establishment of ■an election committee. Mr. Holland is . hand in glove with the Prime Minister in this matter,” stated the Independent Group spokesman. “lhe parties will .fight bitterly over the question as to which party organization shall rule! the Government, but they will quite happily collaborate to protect the system of party organization. It will make little (1 liter ence to the country whether Labour or National rules, except that sections will stand to gain or lose. It will, however, make a. vital difference if we nd government of party control, and adopt a system whereby all measures are debated bv independent men and women puiely on their merits. That is the. real issue of this election—the issue winch we are apparently Jo be prevented from presenting to servicemen overseas.