Ontario Community Newspapers

Ontario Scrapbook Hansard, 8 Apr 1943, p. 6

The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

just as well not have been passed a year ago, for nothing has been done." Big Enough Headache. The proxies should have been sent to the persons who would use them, -- Mr. Frost asserted. The problem of _ taking servicemen's votes constituted a big enough head-- '{ache without having the Govern-- ment add to them, he said. _ _"Does my hon. friend say that before calling _ an election, _ we should send out a flock of proxies?" asked Highways Minister MceQues-- ten "Certainly, I do," retorted Mr. Frost. "There have been no proxies printa«d other than a proxy for a ; vote on liquor questions. The Gov--| ernment found time to prepare this| type of proxy, but nothing was donei about the proxy for a general elec--| tion or filling the vacant seats." | In continuing the debate on the motion, Premier Conant informedl the House that arrangements had, been made to have proxy forms| available for distribution to the'- proper members of the active | service forces. Reading further from the memo-- randum prepared by Major Lewis and Mr. Common, the Premier said: "Arrangements have been con-- cluded with G. H. Ward, secretary | of the Canadian Chamber of Com--| merce in London, England, to super-- ; vise the distribution of proxy forms | to active service voters overseas.| 'The Department of National De-i fense at Ottawa has been very co--operative in arranging to fa(-ili-! ftate -- the-- distribution -- of pmxyi forms through the officers com--| manding the various centres in! which troops are located throughout | Canada and overseas. Within a com-,. paratively short time proxy appoint-'i ment forms will be in the hands of duly appointed agents throughout' Canada and overseas for distribution | to those applying for them. To further facilitate the matter under the regulations, relatives or friends | of -- extra--Provincial -- service voters ; may -- obtain -- proxy appointment'l forms from the clerks of the peace | and other appointed agents through-- | out Ontario to forward to those en« | titled." | Member of Committee. ; The Premier pointed out that Mr. ; Frost was a member of the com--| mittee which drafted the bill passed ; last year and several of his sug--, gestions were adopted. | "To undertake at the present time to amend the act in any im-' portant particular would result in | delay which would make it practi--| cally impossible to protect the sol-'l diers' vote in any election during | the current year." said Mr. Conant. | "His plan is impractical and ab=| surd," continued the Premier, re--| ferring to Mr. Frost's proposal for' a direct vote, eliminating the proxy system. "The nut of the problem is thei time element," said Mr. Macaulay. "How soon be'fore a general election can proxies be sent out? Sixty days before is wholly inadequate. You can't prepare for a vote for the men in Ontario until the House is dis-- solved. It requires a minimum of 32 days from the'time of issuing the writ until the election, and, while it is possible to take the vote of the men in the Province, it is a denial 'of right to the men overseas to have to wait 33 or 60 days before an elec-- ton for proxies to be sent overseas.

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