NO DOCUMENT MISSING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 July 1943, Page 4

NO DOCUMENT MISSING

THE BRISBANE LINE INQUIRY IN AUSTRALIA REPORT OF ROYAL COMMISSION. CONTINUATION OF MR WARD’S SUSPENSION. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) CANBERRA, July 13. The report of the Royal Commission on the charge by Mr E. J. Ward that a defence document is missing, was released by the Prime Minister, Ml Cuitin, today. It says that no document .is missing from the official file, and that Mr Ward was not informed by any officer who had custody of the file that a document was missing. The report said the Royal Commission had been unable to answer other questions for the reasons of Parliamentary privilege raised by Mr Ward’s counsel. Mr Curtin also released a copy of a letter sent by him to Mr Ward with a copy of the report. The letter advised that as the Royal Commission was precluded because of Parliamentary privilege from answering vital questions, the Government had decided that tfie matter was one which could not be completed till it was submitted to Parliament. The matter was therefore sub judice, and the reasons which caused him to direct Mr Ward to refrain from the administration of his office would continue till Parliament had dealt with the matters involved. Mr Curtin’s letter means that Mr Ward’s suspension from office as Labour Minister will continue till the new Parliament meets after the election, which is being held on August 21.