Conscientous Objectors Still Without Vote

Chronicle (Levin), 5 October 1949, Page 7

Conscientous Objectors Still Without Vote

WELLINGTON, Oet. 4. J Those eonseientious objeetors , who were classed as defaulters during the war, have not yet had their voting rights restored.and beeause of the wartime emergeney regulation, will not b6 able to vote at the General Election. The Newt Zealand Inter-Chureh Councii on Publie Affairs has approa,ched the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, aslcing for . a restoration of the right of these, men t to vote but so far Mr. Fraser has taken, ( no action. « •; The secretary of the Inter-Ohurch Councii, Mr. C. Gibson Young, said tonight that the councii had written to the Prime Minister and offered to sena a deputation to diseuss the position. ; The councii was concerned that those men who were classed, as objectors anci 'j released on parole, were still not deemed to have been discharged and under the Electoral Emergeney JKegulations 1943, wtere disqualified frofif enrollmg and voting. In a letter to the Prime Minister on behalf of the councii, Mr. Gibson Young said: "In view of (1) the strong desire of many Christian people that the stigma attaehing to defaulters under the Electoral Emergeney Regulations 1943 should be removed and that they should be finally discharged from the military forces, and (2) the imminence of the General Election. On behalf of this councii I would plead for an immediate and sympathetic reconsideration of the position of these men many of whom are otherwise worthy citizens. I suggest, moreover, that our case is strengthened by the intentions of the Military Training Bill on whieh we have eonsulted the Director of Empioyment. Had those defaulters on parole been dealt with under the Bill, their objections would have been upheld. "