Hit the Anti-Conscriptionists

The Government launched an all-out drive against the anti-conscriptionists. Particular attention was focussed on the Wellington Peace and Anti-Conscription Council (PAAC) which was made up of prominent page break pacifists, Communists, unionists, academics and left-wing Labour men.

From the outbreak of war onwards Wellington police broke up anti-conscription meetings on the city streets and speakers invariably ended up being arrested. For example, in February 1940, Bill O'Reilly of the Communist Party of New Zealand (CPNZ) and well known Christian Pacifist, the Rev. Ormond Burton, were each sentenced to a month's hard labour after speaking at an anti-conscription meeting. The Mayor of Wellington personally declared that he would have this particular meeting stopped.

In March the Government forbade Labour Party members from taking part in the PAAC's national conference and threatened participating Party branches with disenfranchisement at the Party's annual conference, it also declared the PAAC to be a political party' and this its members couldn't attend the annual Labour Party conference.

In May police raided homes of the PAAC's executive in Wellington and New Plymouth police seized the books of the local Anti-Conscription League. Mail was held up by the censor while books and personal belongings were seized in the raids.

After conscription was introduced, police prevented any PAAC public meetings and the public service was purged of active anti-conscriptionists. The Labour Party likewise purged itself of anti-conscriptionists. For example the Rev Doug Martin was sacked as president of the Miramar Branch of the Labour Party because of his membership of the PAAC and was later sentenced to 12 months prison for a 'subversive' statement made on behalf of the PAAC.

The PAAC had its open air meetings broken up, hall owners were pressured into not hiring halls to them and printers were pressured into not printing for them; members were sacked from their jobs in the public service or private enterprise; homes were raided; some were arrested, tried, and gaoled.