Prime Minister Announces New Office Of Veterans' Affairs

A new Office of Veterans' Affairs will provide New Zealand's war veterans with far greater recognition and security, Prime Minister Jenny Shipley said today. "As we approach the commemoration of Anzac Day, New Zealanders can be confident the Government is giving veterans' concerns a very high priority," Mrs Shipley said, announcing the Government's new Office of Veterans' Affairs.

"Those who have fought to protect our nation deserve recognition. They also need an agency that can look into issues that are of unique importance to veterans," Mrs Shipley said.

"Services to war veterans are currently handled by four separate departments. There has been no single Minister or department charged with pulling together all our services related to war veterans."

The office would be a semi-autonomous body working as part of the New Zealand Defence Force. It would be established by 1 July. The Minister of Veterans Affairs would be named before then, she said.

The Office of Veterans' Affairs will be responsible for tasks including:

Managing the Government's relationship with veterans and their representative organisations;
Assessing fairly and accurately individual veterans' entitlements to war and veteran pensions;
Managing issues related to war medals and war graves;
Co-ordinating other Government departments that deliver services to veterans.
War pensions will continue to be paid through the Department of Work and Income, on advice received from the new office.

Mrs Shipley said she had been concerned for some time that a number of issues related to veterans needed more attention.

"That's what this office will provide. It will pick up work the Government already has underway, looking at issues such as the effects of Agent Orange and radiation on veterans and a possible pardon for World War I soldiers who were executed for desertion or mutiny."

The Government expects to receive in mid-May the results of an inquiry into the health of the children of military personnel who were possibly exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, or to radiation during the Operation Grapple atmospheric nuclear tests in the 1950s. The inquiry surveyed up to 4600 military personnel and some 10,000 children.

"We want to see if there is any link between exposure of service personnel during those military operations and the medical illnesses that some of their children have apparently suffered. If there is, we will clearly look at the issues of medical assistance and other support.

"The Government intends to respond promptly to this work and we hope to have it resolved by mid-year."

On the issue of a possible pardon for World War I deserters, Mrs Shipley said there was mounting evidence that these soldiers were suffering from shell shock or what today would be termed post-traumatic stress syndrome.

"If that's the case, we owe it to their families to acknowledge this and consider the case for pardons."

The Cabinet will make its decisions on the basis of an inquiry being conducted by retired Court of Appeal judge Sir Edward Somers.

"New Zealanders respect the fact that men and women who have sought to protect our country and our values deserve consideration of these important issues.