I should like to refer to regular officers who retired before the change in nomenclature for their particular rank was made. My remarks would apply only to regulars. The position is that a regular officer who retires with a pension retires with his rank and is paid according to that rank. There are a number of officers who held the rank of major which was once equivalent to the rank of lieutenant-colonel and was later given that name. I have a couple of specific instances in mind. Those officers should be entitled to use the title " lieutenant-colonel ". It is only regulars on the retired list who can claim that rank.
SECTION 308.
Question proposed : " That Section 308 stand part of the Bill."
Mr. Collins
I have some specific instances in mind myself.
An officer who served in that rank retires on pension ; he goes by the title major which was always an anomaly. A comrade officer with the same pension and rank retires a year later and is known by the title " lieutenant-colonel ". It was always the same rank and scale. We called lieutenant-colonels " majors " and majors " commandants." We have now abolished the rank of major and call majors " lieutenant-colonels ". I am not referring to people who have finished, people like reservists.
I did as a matter of fact take this matter up on the previous occasion on which I was Minister for Defence. It was at the time that the change in ranks was made. I was anxious that the matter to which the Chairman referred should be adjusted, but the difficulty which was posed to me was that these ex-officers had gone out of the Army, were no longer officers and therefore went out with the rank they had and that, legally, nothing could be done.
They are still being paid their pensions and effectively they are on the retired list. It would be a very small compliment to their past service.
Mr. Collins
I would ask the Minister if it could be done to do it. The legal difficulty can be resolved now that we have a new Bill.
I am making the point for the retired regular and only for him.
He cannot be called up again. This is one of these cases where, up to this, not very much could be done by law, but this section gives us the opportunity. It is a matter for the officers concerned. Take the Department of Defence sending out their pension cheque. It would be a very easy thing instead of addressing them as " major " to address them as " lieutenant-colonel ", which is the equivalent rank, and usage in that way would solve the problem in a short time.
Mr. Collins
That section gives the Minister power to do it if he wants to do it.
I do not think that it is necessary to do it by law if the Department give their benediction.
If that were all I would examine the matter again. It was, however, with the Department that I took it up on the former occasion. The difficulties were represented to me and I thought that there was something in them. It seemed to me to be a legal difficulty that the individual had left and was no longer a member of the Army and that nothing could be done about it.
Mr. Collins
The difficulty could be got over by a slight administrative change, and it would be a nice compliment from the Minister to those officers.
I could mention names afterwards—I do not want to put them on record. Some of these officers gave very distinguished service during the emergency. I have one in mind.
Mr. Collins
I have my former battalion commander in mind.
I think it would be a nice gesture on the part of the Minister.
I suggest that the words " and officers who have retired from the Defence Forces with the rank of major shall be considered as having retired with the rank of lieutenant-colonel " should be added to section 308.
It does not affect reservists. You are not in any trouble there.
That is a suggestion. If we could have it in the Act, it would be all right. We will have it examined.
Question put, and agreed to.
Section 309 agreed to.