June 15, 2023
Veterans’ concerns shunted to back
Former defence and veterans affairs minister Ron Mark says many of the grievances being raised by veterans at a Waitangi Tribunal hearing in Rotorua this week could have been resolved if New Zealand First had remained part of Government.
He says people join the military not for money but for a ranges of altruistic reasons, but for that they should expect ongoing support, recognition of service, apologies from the Government when things go wrong and some help for their families when needed.
But he says the two main parties tend to shunt veterans to the back of the queue.
“If I look back at the work I had on my desk, (Grant) Robertson has just dumped all that work. That’s the sort of attitude from the Minister of Finance that stymies any prospects that veterans might have. That’s the same attitude that successive Governments delivered up to veterans over the Agent Orange. It’s the same attitude over Mururoa (nuclear testing),” Mr Mark says.
He says the ministers will still turn out to the Anzac Day parades to say how proud they are of their tipuna.