REVIEW

Grey River Argus, 29 June 1945, Page 5

REVIEW

oppc nati(HHHH|| Tribunal P.A. WELLINgWMMHMMMI Recent regulations defaulters the right to of conscientious objection heard Special Tribunals provided ammunition for opening shots by the Opposition members when the House' met to-day. Mr. S. G. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, when an Imprest Supply Bill was introduced initiated a debate on the Bill by referring to regulations for the Tribunals. These had been brought down a few weeks before Paliament assembled without giving members a chance to debate the subject he said. A special provision was .made for those with a conscientious oojection to war. Appeal Tribunals were set up.- They had done splendid 'work. Men appearing before them were required to establish that tney were conscientious objectors. If tney could not, their appeals were dismissed. These men were then called up. Many decided to enter the Armed Forces. They had given excellent service. Some have given their lives. There were other men who, whe,n their appeals were dismissed, decided to defy the law. They, he said, were “pure, unadulterated shirkers.” The Goermnent were prepared to- release these men, under certain conditions, while our own prisoners of war were not all recovered from captivity,, and while our own fighting men still required for further service AM overseas. What the Government nad A done was a gross betrayal of every <\\ man who fought for his country, and pNYT of every parent and relative of men \ \ who had gone away. Public opinion, 1 he said, was overwhelmingly against — the Government’s recent decision. If the Government doubted this, it should take a plebiscite Mr. Holland then moved the tollowing amendment: “That this House being gravely dissatisfied with the action of the Government in giving the right to military defaulters to make application to the Revision Trbunals for release from detention while our servicemen and service women are still serving overseas, and N while our prisoners of war remain unrepatriated,- strongly recommends the Government immediately to revoke the National Service Emergency Regulations, Amendment Seventeen, which gives military defaulters the right to make application for immediate release.” Mr. Holland said that those objectors whose appeals had been dismissed and who subsequently obeyed the law and went - ’> into the services would not have the ■" right of appeal to Revision Tribunals, Z i while those who defied the -law and f became defaulters would have tne right of appeal. Mr. H. F. Morton (Nat. Waitamata) said: The R.S.A. while divided on many issues, is unanimous in its attitude to miltiary defaulters. It was ironic that while many service- ; men were applying’in vain for re- i lease after several years’ service, | men who had said they would take a a cup of tea to any Japanese who | landed in New Zealand, and who had ! declared they would not stand up for L« the Nantional Anthem, were to be V released, and given first chances ior jobs, houses, and other advantages before servicemen could get home. »” 4 The Minister of Supply, Hon. D. G. Sullivan, said: “If the Opposition members are endeavouring to prevent the release of shirkers, cowards, or humbugs, they will get the support of all sections of the House. However, there is evidently a misunderstanding as to the purposes of these regulations It is not the intention of the War Cabinet or the Government that the regulations should be used to release such men. The regulations have only one object, and that is to give justice to those men, who are genuine conscientious objectors.” It had been alleged, he said, by Churches and others, that mistakes had been made by the Appeal Tribunals, and, if such mistakes had. been made, they could be rectified, but even then, successful appellants would not go free, but would be subject to manpower directions. Mr. H. A. Sheat (Nat. Patea) asked if those who had been wrongfully imprisoned, would be compensated. He asked why the conscientious objectors were to have the right of appeal, while those whose appeals on the grounds of undue hardship had been disallowed did not have that right. Hon. H. G. R. Mason (Govt., Auck—• V land Suburbs) said that there was. - little logic in the Opposition attitude. They said in effect: “If there has been an injustice let it continue —it is too late to correct it.” The Attor-ney-General added -that the change now made, merely brought our law . closer to the English law in relation to the conscietious objectors, and the English law was far from spineless. The debate was interrupted at 5.30. When the House resumed after, the tea adjournment, Mr F. W. Doidge (Nat Tauranga) said he was willing to see the defaulters released provided that they would undertake to play a part in the war effort. He asked what the Government was going to do about the civil rights or the defaulters. Were they to be allowed to acquire homes and businesses before men from the forces returned. Mr. W. T. Anderton (Govt. Eden) speaking as a member of the R.B.A. said that the Leader of the Opposition had challenged the Government to take a plebiscite of public opinion on the treatment of defaulters. But would Mr. Holland challenge the R.S.A. to take a vote of its membership on this question? Mr. G. F. Sim (Nat. Rotorua) said that what the Government proposed was to give these men preferential treatment, and so to aggravate difficulties and anxieties of our prisoners of war and other servicemen who had yet to find their way back into civilian life ‘"-v, Hon. H. T. Parry said that the ( Opposition had claimed that the ' unions were forcing the Government to do the things that it was doing. He replied to that by quoting the report of the Commission that was set / up during the depression which Com- / mision had instructed the then Gov- / eminent to make cuts. , / Mr. J. Roy (Nat. Clutha) said had / the Government set up the Appeal Authority at the time that the „ / original Tribunals were established, 1/ / the Opposition could' not have Ob- k, / jected. Instead of doing that, the t-.J Government muddled the matter. Lt had muddled the whole war situation.