Additional Member Of Rehabilitation Board

Northern Advocate, 2 December 1944, Page 3

Additional Member Of Rehabilitation Board

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The Rehabilitation Amendment Bill was passed in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon with a Government amendment providing for an additional member of the Rehabilitation Board and after an Opposition amendment that the R.S.A. should have the right to nominate two representatives on the board had been defeated by 39 to 32.

Resuming' the debate on the Short Title after lunch Mr E. B. Gordon (Gppn.Rangitikei) asked if rehabilitation was being provided for New Zealanders serving in the R.A.F. The Prime Minister said they were fully eligible for rehabilitation as if they had served in our own forces. That applied also to New Zealanders serving in other Imperial forces. It was difficult yet to say what opportunities would be offering in our own air force after the war. We might have to maintain a fairly large air force for our own defence and. perhaps for a share in the defence of the island frontiers of the Pacific. Openings For Airmen Mr Fraser said he also hoped that as a result of the Chicago conference, there would be an expansion in civil aviation throughout the world including transTasman and trans-Pacific, and he hoped our boys would get some opportunities there. Internal air lines would also have to he developed but the fact remained that, even taking account of all these fields there was unlikely to be sufficient aviation jobs for till our returning airmen. Some of them would have to return to civilian life. A Government amendment which was agreed to provided that the board should be reconstituted to consist of the Minister for Rehabilitation, five departmental officials and five others appointed by the Governor-General. The bill previously provided for four members other than departmental officers. It.S.A. Representation

Mr T. L. MacDonald (Oppn.-Mataura) moved an amendment to provide that two of the non-departmental members should be nominated by the N.Z. ft.S.A. and that these five non-departmenlal members should have full voting power as members of the board while departmental officials should be associate members entitled to take part in discussion of any matter before a meeting of the board but should not be entitled to vote thereon. Mr MacDonald said this was merely in line with what the Opposition had advocated right through the discussion. Hon. C. F. Skinner (Govt.-Motucka) said that, every member of the present board except one was a member of the R.S.A.. which also was represented on ail local committees.

"We ale the Government and while we are prepared to consider suggestions from the R.S.A. we are responsible for rehabilitation and the R.S.A. is not. While we are responsible, we are entitled to say who shall do the job.” said Mr Skinner. “We would not be justified in handing to the R.S.A. or any other organisation the right to appoint representatives to the Rehabilitation Boaid.”

Mr Fraser said that the amendment was an attack on the Government's plans for the board and therefore I lie Government proposed a vote against it. Mr Skinner paid the R.S.A. had never asked for such an amendment to his knowledge. The amendment was defeated by 39 to 32 on the division.

Mr Skinner, making an explanation concerning his reference to interest rales said that apparently he had not made it quilt> clear that the interest reductions he mentioned in the forenoon would be retrospective. Reductions, he said, would apply to all loans, to ex-servicemen. The Bill was put through the concluding stages and passed.