VOTING RIGHTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 July 1943, Page 3

VOTING RIGHTS

OBJECTORS & DEFAULTERS. STATEMENT BY PREMIER. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. “Will the Prime Minister inform the House as to what steps are being taken to debar defaulters who have been released from detention camps exercising their votes at the forthcoming election?” asked Mr Sutherland (Opposition, Hauraki) in notice of a question in the House of Representatives yesterday.

’ The Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, said he would make an immediate reply. “The only reason why men are discharged from defaulters’ camps is that they have repented and have joined the forces, thus obeying the law,” said Mr Fraser. “The honourable gentleman apparently does not know the difference between a defaulter and a conscientious objector.” Mr Sutherland said he knew of a defaulter who had been discharged and who was not in the Army. Repeating that Mr Sutherland was confusing defaulters and conscientious objectors, the Prime Minister said that conscientious objectors in all British countries were not disfranchised. Christadelphians and members of the Society of Friends, for example, were recognised conscientious objectors. Military defaulters were men who had defied the law in the first place and had not observed their obligations to serve in the armed forces. Some of the defaulters had gone out to fight, and according to their commanding officers were doing excellent work.