Veterans’ Support Amendment Bill (No 2)

I move, That the Veterans’ Support Amendment Bill (No 2) be now read a third time.

💬 SPEAKER: The question is that the motion be agreed to.

Mr Speaker.

💬 SPEAKER: Oh, you’re going to speak? Well, keep going.

Thank you. I just want to acknowledge and thank the whole of the House for their support in what is a very important piece of legislation to all veterans throughout New Zealand.

💬 Chris Penk: Mr Speaker.

I call the gallant member Chris Penk.

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I acknowledge the gallantry, actually, of the Minister for Veterans, in both the technical parliamentary sense of that phrase but also in relation to the conduct of the Government parties in relation to this legislation. The Minister has highlighted already today, and I have acknowledged, the fact that there is a larger picture at play. We start by acknowledging that veterans have served our country and so it’s appropriate that our country serves veterans.

We’ve talked about the fact that the Paterson report, as it’s frequently known, has made a number of recommendations. Some of these are larger items of work, but those that we can cover today, that we can pass before the Parliament rises ahead of the upcoming election, we should, we can, and we are.

So having acknowledged those points that are not within scope but which were the subject of various submissions at the select committee, and acknowledging the Minister’s feedback in relation to the discussion around the response times, and noting that that is a genuine view that has been provided to him by his officials and expressed by him on behalf of the Government, I say that we are satisfied that some good is coming of this. I won’t rehearse the detail in relation to the particular additional support for veterans and their families during and at the end of their lives. So I conclude my remarks at this the third and final reading of the Veterans’ Support Amendment Bill (No 2) by saying that National is pleased to support it. We look forward to its passage as ongoing work that is so vital in this space.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Look, it’s a real pleasure to stand again and speak in relation to this bill. Mr Speaker, with you sitting there, it’s reminded me of 2019 when we attended the Gallipoli services, and what an honour and a privilege that was to be in Turkey at the time and to see the dawn services. Certainly, when you have that opportunity to experience standing on the soil and, indeed, the bones of those who have given service, it is a tremendously privileged but also sobering experience.

I haven’t got very much to say on this bill, except that we have worked collegially across this House, as we should in these matters. I’m very pleased to say that we listened well. We were respectful, as, indeed, we should be on these matters. I think, as well, it is very clear to me that these changes will make a material and real difference. There is more work to do, and we will be addressing this in future parliaments. But I absolutely commend this bill to the House.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. It’s a privilege and a pleasure to rise in support of this bill on behalf of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. I do sit on the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee and we do hear from time to time from veterans and their families as to the harrowing experiences that they’ve had, but also the harrowing experiences they have after their postings are over, and that extends to their family members. So I’d like to acknowledge this Minister for what I know is a deep sense of care and responsibility for all veterans, and we’re very pleased to see that now this will extend some of the support in terms of mental health care, in terms of their children’s bursaries, in terms of rehabilitation of veterans coming into conflict with the law and undergoing imprisonment—all things that the Green Party supports and all things that I’m very happy to note the entire House is in consensus on this afternoon, which is a compassionate and fair approach to caring for our veterans. So I commend the bill.

Bill read a third time.