Goff Phil: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeGoff Phil: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 15 October 2015. Volume:709;Page:7288. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]7.Hon PHIL GOFF (Labour—Mt Roskill) to the Minister of Veterans’ Affairs: Will the Government support families who want to repatriate the remains of family members buried in Malaysia who died while on deployment between 1956 and 1969; if not why not?Hon CRAIG FOSS (Minister of Veterans’ Affairs): I respect the views of those families but no this Government is continuing the policy of previous Governments most recently reconfirmed by that member’s Government in 2007.Hon Phil Goff: What considerations does the Government think should take precedence over the wishes of those families whose husbands brothers and sons died while serving their country in Viet Nam and in Malaysia who want their remains brought home?Hon CRAIG FOSS: I am sure those matters are the same as those that the previous Government considered when it recently reviewed this policy and reconfirmed the policy that this Government has picked up. There are many issues in and around this matter. There are many complex matters that I am sure that member is aware of.Hon Phil Goff: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was about what considerations should take precedence. I think the Minister is bound to give more than: “Oh the same ones that somebody else did.” I think he should be more specific.Mr SPEAKER: I will hear from the Hon Simon Bridges.Hon Simon Bridges: The member asked about as he said the considerations. The Minister then went on to outline the same considerations as the previous Government. That in itself was a full answer but he then went on to also talk about a range of complex factors.Mr SPEAKER: I thank both members. I agree with the points made by the Minister in this case. I think that the question has been addressed.Hon Phil Goff: When the Australian Government has offered to repatriate the remains of Australian soldiers who died in Malaysia and Viet Nam and who are buried in Terendak in Malaysia why is it not possible or appropriate for the New Zealand Government to do the same thing for Kiwi soldiers buried there whose families desperately want them home?Hon CRAIG FOSS: Yes I became aware of the Australia initiative in—I do not know—March this year. The Australians are absolutely able to do what they choose to do in their affairs. They did not recently review the matter themselves as far as I understand it as New Zealand recently reviewed the matter in 2007.Hon Phil Goff: Given that the position of the RSA which represents the interests of veterans has changed since the Government last considered this issue in 2007 and that it is now calling for a change of policy and a full review of the repatriation of those—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Can I have the question please?Hon Phil Goff: —who are buried overseas why will he not back the RSA’s call for that review and for a change?Hon CRAIG FOSS: I am aware that when that member was interested in this issue and took papers to Cabinet in 2007 which were picked up by the Hon Rick Barker the points around the RSA point of view at the time were for the status quo. I am not aware of any official change in the RSA’s position although I am aware that some members are considering it.Hon Phil Goff: I seek the leave of the House to table two emails. One is from the RSA setting out its change in policy and the second is from the Minister’s own department asking for a copy of the RSA’s change of policy. How he does not know—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Leave is sought to table those two emails. Is there any objection? There is not. They can be tabled.Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon Phil Goff: Does he accept that if the Government rejects the wishes of the families who want their loved ones brought home its claims to honour the fallen veterans and their families on whom the burden of their loss fell most heavily will sound rather hollow to those families?Hon CRAIG FOSS: I take offence at that actually. I carry out my role and I carry the burden of this office and the respect of veterans and their families and the values that they stood and fought for for this country very very seriously.