June 23, 1942 (19th Parliament, 3rd Session)

Mr. RALSTON:

Not only my colleagues;
others as well. I think I am right in saying that the army-I am within hearing of my colleagues the Minister of National Defence for Air (Mr. Power) and the Minister of National Defence for Naval Services (Mr. Macdonald), and they can correct me if I am wrong-is the only service which makes provision for giving leave to men who are indispensable or who are key men in industry or agriculture. The army from almost the very beginning, certainly from the time I have had anything to do with it, has had a rule- it is part of the general orders-that a man who can be shown to be a key man in connection with munitions, even though he has enlisted, even though he volunteered, may be given leave to go back to munitions work if he so applies. That was followed by the national war services regulations, which I have before me, and which by section 14 expressly provide, not that the army is to take men at the expense of munitions or at the expense of agriculture, but that boards shall be set up under the national war services department to decide, with regard to any man who is called up for service in the army, whether it is in the "national interest" to grant an advancement or postponement of that man's training.