Government Gives RSA First Part Of $1 Million

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Winston Peters and Rick Barker handed over a cheque for $1 million to the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association today, designated to help provide services for New Zealand veterans.

"Politics is about keeping your word, and keeping your commitments, and I'm please to say that we've been able to do that," said Winston Peters. Rick Barker continued, "As a consequence of our effort we have a cheque here for the RSA $1 million. We both recognise the invaluable work the organisation, through its welfare officers, does for returned service personnel. We want to support your work - with this commitment and in the rewriting of the War Pensions Act this is another brick in the wall of showing this government's commitment to veterans in New Zealand. I hope you and your team don't spend it all at once."

Peters finished with, "Can I just say one thing? If any of you asked, 'What if we had asked you for two million?' you know what the answer would be? 'But you didn't.' Remember that in future!"

"We have that in mind," replied Chief Executive of the RSA, Robin Klitscher. "We won't spend it all at once, we won't spend it on a racehorse. We'll spend it on what it's intended for, which is support to the veteran community in this country. We are very grateful for the support of the government that you two have given to this organisation and we're hoping that it will continue."

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