DEFAULTERS IN NEW ZEALAND

Southland Times, Issue 25546, 14 December 1944, Page 2

DEFAULTERS IN NEW ZEALAND

GOVERNMENT ASKED TO STATE POLICY (P.A.) WELLINGTON, December 13. Mr M. H. Oram (Nat., Manawatu) in an urgent question in conjunction with Mr W. J. Broadfoot (Nat., Waitomo) asked the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, today to give the House of Representatives before Parliament rises a clear statement of the Government s policy towards military defaulters, both now and in the future. Mr Oram said that all members of the Opposition had received many resolutions passed by R.S.A. branches and in the absence of such a statement they were unable to reply. Mr Fraser in his answer said the Government’s policy regarding military defaulters was contained in the National Service Emergency Regulations 1940. The Minister responsible for their administration was the Minister of Justice, acting under the direction of the War Cabinet. Mr Fraser said that the regulations had been administered fairly equitably. It must be agreed that, although subjected to the penalties provided, which they voluntarily incurred, and to the disadvantages of internment and prison if they persisted in their defiance and disobedience, the defaulters were not subjected to the risks of sickness, wounds and death, which were the common experience of our sailors, soldiers and airmen who were fighting for us, nor were they subject to the great hardships and frequent cruelties of enemy prison camps, to which our men who became prisoners of war were condemned. REVIEW OF REGULATIONS “At the same time, it is necessary that the regulations in question and their administration should be reviewed periodically and the parallel regulations in Britain and other United Nations closely studied,” added Mr Fraser. “For instance, the law provides for the exemption from military training of proved conscientious objectors. It is claimed that a number of men in detention camps are not defaulters, but conscientious objectors, whose cases ought to be reheard. In Britain there is an appeal court for the purpose of rehearing such cases. Whether there should be some kind of reviewing authority for any who claim to be unjustly imprisoned is obviously a question for the War Cabinet to consider. The more effective economic use of the labour power of the defaulters in the interests of the Dominion is another question which is being examined. I do not think consideration of the question of the disfranchisement of the defaulters is an urgent matter. With the end of the war perhaps some two, even three, years ahead, there are clearly much more urgent matters of importance to the war effort which demand immediate and continuous attention.” “That won’t satisfy the R.S.A.” interjected Mr F. W. Doidge (Nat., Tauranga) as Mr Fraser resumed his seat. Mr Fraser: I can’t help that. WATERSIDE WORKERS’ ATTITUDE MEETING IN~WELLINGTON (P.A.) WELLINGTON, December 13. Between 200 and 300 returned servicemen members of the Wellington Waterside Workers’ Union unanimously passed a motion deploring that certain sections were raising the question of conscientious objectors and defaulters with the obvious purpose of making political capital. The resolution stated that the members had their own views on the issues raised, but no good purpose could be served by diverting attention from the paramount purpose, the maintenance of the unity of all for the complete defeat of Fascism, and recommended that a committee repressentative of all sections should be set up to decide the question of indeterminate sentences. RETURNED SOLDIERS ON AUCKLAND WHARVES Attitude Of R.S.A. Executive Opposed (P.A.) WELLINGTON, December 13. The following resolution was passed at today’s stopwork meeting of the Auckland Watersiders Workers’ Union: “That approximately 800 returned servicemen in this organization dissociate themselves from the statements and resolutions of the R.S.A. executive regarding men in detention camps.” The meeting also decided to protest against the Churchill Government’s armed intervention in Greek affairs, and asked the Government to guarantee that no New Zealand troops would be employed in these or any similar circumstances, and that the New Zealand Government should protest against the British policy in Greece.