The Royal New Zealand RSA fully supports the stand taken
by Willie Apiata VC to drive change to the Veterans’
Support Act.
The Minister has stated that the
Government has a legal and moral obligation to look after
those it sends into harm’s way while acknowledging a gap
in current legislation. The RSA looks forward to working
with Minister Penk to ensure the issues with the current Act
are fully understood and rectified.
RNZRSA National
President Sir Wayne Shelford said that handing the taonga of
the Victoria Cross to the Minister for Veterans was hugely
symbolic.
“The RSA has long advocated
for changes to the Veteran Support Act. In its current form
the Act is discriminatory and leaves many of our service
personnel who have been affected by their service unable to
access the support they need.
We are
incredibly grateful to Willie for using his position to
raise the profile of the inequities within the Act.
We
need more than talk, it’s time to listen to the voices of
veterans who for years have been saying the support the
Government provides is not equal, it’s not fair and it’s
not
enough.”
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