Power Simon: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Power Simon: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:616;Page:11787] 
10.  
SIMON POWER (National—Rangitikei) 
 to the  
Minister of Veterans' Affairs 
: How many places have been allocated to veterans within the New Zealand delegation travelling to Italy for the Monte Cassino 60th Anniversary commemorations in May this year? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS (Minister of Veterans' Affairs) 
: 
 I am advised that two groups will travel as part of the New Zealand delegation. One group will make its way independently with considerable Government funding. This number already exceeds the number that went to Monte Cassino in 1994. Another group will travel on an RNZAF aircraft. Once all applications for this are received numbers of veterans travelling to Monte Cassino in this way can begin to be finalised. 
Simon Power 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The question asked specifically “within the New Zealand delegation”. The Minister should be able to give us an indication as to how many are flying on the Air Force plane heading for Italy. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister I thought said he had not finalised the detail of that. That is a perfectly acceptable addressing of the question. The member can have a supplementary question. 
Simon Power 
: How many non-veterans will be travelling to Monte Cassino in May with the official New Zealand delegation and which organisations or Government departments do they represent? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: A number of groups will travel including young people who won an essay competition young cadets from the cadet forces a Maori cultural group a guard of honour group medical and support staff media and others. When all those numbers are finished we will be able to give members some direct answers. 
Dianne Yates 
: What steps is the Government taking to ensure that as many veterans as possible are able to travel to the Monte Cassino commemorations? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: I am advised that special funding is being made available to all Monte Cassino veterans wishing to travel independently to the commemorations. Another group will travel on military aircraft. The Government is aware the trip will be emotionally and physically demanding on the veterans who are mainly in their 80s and 90s. Consequently a medical team will form part of the delegation and veterans travelling on the RNZAF aircraft will be required to meet strict medical criteria. 
Bill Gudgeon 
: Is the Minister aware that on 23 June 2003 and 12 August 2003 the Prime Minister received correspondence from the New Zealand First spokesperson on defence Mr Ron Mark that the whole issue of the commemoration concerning veterans involved in the Battle of Cassino be looked into and that this Government take as many veterans as possible? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: Yes. I have a copy of that letter. It is the Government’s intention to make sure that as many veterans as possible can attend the commemorations. 
Stephen Franks 
: What could demonstrate more dramatically how the Government sees battle commemorations generally and the value it places on old servicemen and servicewomen than today’s uncertainty contrasted with 10 years ago when I went to Monte Cassino to join 100 veterans—including my father—and I saw an honoured delegation focused around them putting those old soldiers first instead of the Prime Minister’s photographers? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: This Government is making sure as many of the veterans who can travel do travel. Those who want to go will go— 
Judith Collins 
: Shame on you! 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
:—instead of the member over on the other side making little snide remarks. 
Simon Power 
: Will the ballot to be drawn on Monday allow all able-bodied and medically cleared veterans to go to Monte Cassino—especially following the  
Holmes 
 poll last night showing 95 percent of callers believed every veteran who is able should go to the commemorations? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: The ballot does not take place next Monday. However I will say we are going to take as many people as we can. This Government sees this as the last opportunity for many of those people and we will try to take as many as we can who are medically fit and who will not suffer because of the arduous nature of the trip. We will try to get them there.