Williams Andrew: Veterans’ Support Bill — Second ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWilliams Andrew: Veterans’ Support Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 10 April 2014. Volume:697;Page:17169. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]ANDREW WILLIAMS (NZ First):I rise on behalf of New Zealand First to speak on the Veterans’ Support Bill. Around this Chamber on the various crests and plaques are the names of many of the great battles and campaigns that New Zealand has participated in. When you look around this Chamber and you see names such as Monte Cassino Korea Passchendaele Viet Nam Malaysia and all the others around these walls it is a solemn reminder to us all as members of Parliament of the huge commitment that our men and women have made in the service of this country in so many campaigns abroad. That service was usually undertaken to uphold democracy and to ensure that others living in other parts of the world can hopefully enjoy the same quality of life that we enjoy here in New Zealand.The men and women who have gone abroad have put their lives at risk. They have done that voluntarily. They have not had to go abroad; they did not have to join the services in many instances apart from of course earlier in World War I or World War II when they were called up. But many in recent campaigns have done this as volunteers in the services including in the instance of the Viet Nam War where my brother was killed. All those who went to Viet Nam volunteered to go as Regular Force soldiers. They did not have to go but they volunteered to be part of it. Many of those servicemen and servicewomen from the likes of the Korean campaign Viet Nam and indeed some from World War II as well—who are now getting very elderly—deserve the absolute respect that this House should give and that the Parliament of this country should give. They should be given all that is due to them.In 2007 the Law Commission put forward 170 recommendations to this House. One hundred and thirty-two have been picked up by the Government to go forward; the remainder have not. In particular the area the Government has not picked up is where the Law Commission recommended that if you have served abroad on behalf of this country you should be entitled at age 65 when you are eligible to receive superannuation to receive a war veterans pension. That would then recognise that any person retiring who has served this country abroad has put themselves on the line and that they have come back. It would recognise the fact that they are not just a superannuitant but they are a superannuitant who has served this country.The small amount of additional money to provide those superannuitants with a war pension to provide them with an automatic community services card to ensure that they retain their pension after being in hospital for more than 13 weeks and to give their spouse or family a lump sum on death is such a small amount as recognition of and compensation for having served their country. I am absolutely appalled having lost somebody in Viet Nam having lost uncles in World War II and having lost relatives in World War I as well that this Government cannot see fit to find $11.1 million—$11.1 million—in 2014-15 to ensure that those veterans are properly recognised in this manner.We have put forward a minority report as has the Labour Party—and the Labour Party one is supported by the Green Party—and in it we have stated “New Zealand First is firmly of the view that the Veterans’ Support Bill is long overdue. The Law Commission first reported in 2010 and four years later this legislation is finally reaching its conclusion. Progress should have been made with much greater urgency. A great many veterans are affected by this review. They are not getting any younger.”—they are not getting any younger. “They deserve far greater respect for the service they have given to their country. Expediency in completing this exercise would be in order.”The report further states: “The National Government has rejected the Law Commission’s recommendation that all veterans who have served on an overseas operational deployment for the New Zealand Defence Force should be eligible for a veterans’ pension if they meet the criteria for New Zealand Superannuation. New Zealand First supports the recommendations of the New Zealand Law Commission to lower the entitlement threshold to zero percent which is strongly supported by the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association and some other submitters. New Zealand First does not agree with the Government’s position. We strongly believe that all military veterans who meet the eligibility criteria should be entitled to receive a veterans’ pension in recognition that they have served their country. There should be a clear distinction which acknowledges the important difference”—and this is a critical point—“compared to receiving standard New Zealand Superannuation. The additional benefits of a veterans’ pension are relatively minor but the sentiment and recognition is vitally important to all those affected by this.” It is not just the money but the recognition and the sentiment that go with it to recognise that these people have served their country.It is also very disturbing that many veterans continue to struggle to receive their various allowances and disability allowances as a result of medical records that are missing or are in error. And it is greatly disturbing that we had a situation this week where the Rev. Wally Te Ua was in the High Court here in Wellington having to take Veterans Affairs New Zealand and the Government to court to prove that he has cancer as a result of his deployment to Viet Nam and being affected by Agent Orange while in the jungles of Viet Nam. It is incredible that a man like that an Anglican vicar—an Anglican vicar—has to take Veterans Affairs to court to try to prove that his cancer was a result of Agent Orange.Back in 2008 I was at Tribute 08 the apology to the Viet Nam veterans here in Wellington which was held in this Chamber and in the Legislative Council Chamber. The Rt Hon Helen Clark made the apology on behalf of the Government to the Viet Nam veterans. At the Basin Reserve Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae the then Chief of Defence Force also apologised to them and he also said that veterans will not be disadvantaged because there were errors with medical records and because medical records were missing. He said in his speech that the New Zealand Defence Force had let them down. He said that it had let them down and they would not suffer as a result of the medical records being missing or in error. That was Tribute 08 and yet 6 years later many many many veterans—thousands of veterans—are still struggling to get what they are due from Veterans Affairs New Zealand.New Zealand First can assure the veterans—and some will be listening to this out there today—that New Zealand First will rectify this. We will rectify this. We will ensure that they get what they are due and that they are honoured in the right way by this country. Those men and women who have put their bodies on the line put their lives on the line for this country will be recognised in the true manner.It is just very sad that so many National Party members of Parliament have not had the same close experience with many of these veterans and with the military. I think it comes from the top down. It would be nice to think that the Prime Minister and some of those members could have some heart in this and say: “We will honour them we will do our best by them and we will stop this once and for all.” New Zealand First will support the Veterans’ Support Bill but we will be speaking strongly in favour of sorting out some of the aspects of it that need rectifying.