Docked 50 Per Cent.

Case of Three Papuan Service Pensioners

THE report that three members of the Papuan Public Service, who had been arbitrarily deprived of half their pensions because they had accepted wartime jobs in Australia, has been explained.

Before the outbreak of war with Japan, Messrs W. D. Brown, S. J. Ander son and J. J. Hartley signified their intention of retiring from the Papuan service. Their resignations were form ally accepted by the Executive Council, and they were granted the periods of furlough usual on retirement, and pen sions, which were to commence on the expiry of the special leave. Each got at least 12 months’ leave. Before that leave expired, the war with Japan commenced.

On April 27, 1942. the Commonwealth authority announced this Statutory Rule: Where a person who is granted a super annuation allowance . . . after the commence ment of these regulations is employed by the Commonwealth, or a State, or a Territory of the Commonwealth, or any public authority of the Commonwealth or State, the rate of super annuation allowance payable to him during that period of employment shall be 50 per cent, of the rate to which he would have been entitled, but for this regulation, Messrs. Brown, Anderson and Hartley accepted wartime jobs; and, when they began to draw their pensions, late in 1942. they were “docked" 50 per cent.

This high-handed Governmental action has been challenged, and is likely to be cancelled. It is pointed out that the three men were not “granted a super annuation allowance . . . after the com mencement of the regulation" (April, 1942 >. They actually were granted the pension by the Papuan Executive Coun cil before the outbreak of the Pacific war.

It is argued that the fact that they did not begin to draw their pensions until after the expiry of their retirement fur lough has nothing to do with the case.