Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

Veterans shortchanged in Govt U-turn

Veterans shortchanged in Govt U-turn

National’s U-turn in adopting Labour’s proposed amendment to the Veterans’ Support Bill to allow all veterans deployed overseas in a conflict zone to receive a veteran’s pension sadly leaves them shortchanged, says Labour’s Veterans’ Affairs Spokesperson, Phil Goff.

“This U-turn is not the good news it seems on the surface. The decision to gut the Law Commission’s recommendation that Labour wants to implement removes most of the financial benefits from getting a veteran’s pension and shortchanges our aging servicemen and women.

“The major financial recognition those on the veterans’ pension get is a lump sum payment of $5700 when they die, which goes their families.

“The payment is valued by those on the pension because it relieves their families of their funeral expenses.

“It is a small but concrete form of thanks to veterans for their service, rather than just words.

“It is also recognition, especially for our oldest veterans who served in World War Two and Korea, who were sometimes absent for years. It acknowledges the sacrifices made by families through separation and the trauma many veterans had to deal with when they returned.

“The cost of the Law Commission’s recommendation is not great. It is $11.1 million in 2014/15 and reduces quickly to $8.4 million by 2017/18. That reflects the fact that the ranks of our veterans are thinning rapidly.

“This is the centenary of World War One. Adopting Labour’s recommendation not only meets the requests of the RNZRSA and veterans, it is a tangible way of thanking those who have given their services before they pass on.

“By gutting the Law Commission’s recommendation and taking away the practical impact National is penny-pinching and shortchanging our veterans,” Phil Goff said.

ends

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.