Bernadine MacKenzie: Head of Veteran Affairs New Zealand on Anzac Day soon recognising veterans from conflicts after 1966

More men and women are set to be remembered on Anzac Day. 

Veterans Affairs Minister Chris Penk has announced the public holiday will soon officially recognise veterans from conflicts after 1966. 

The bill's expected to be introduced before Anzac Day 2025 and passed before the following year. 

Head of Veteran Affairs New Zealand, Bernadine MacKenzie told Mike Hosking the legislation will be catching up to what's already happening. 

She says people have increasingly used Anzac Day to remember and honour those who've served in recent conflicts. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So change coming to Antec Day, changes which will mean
a wider range of veterans can be honored. On the
twenty fifth of April, the head of Veterans Affairs Bernd mckenzie', well,
there's been ade morning to you.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Good morning.

Speaker 1 (00:11):
Is this a bit slow? It's one of these things
I'm looking at with the government at the moment. They're
going to sort the legislation by the end of twenty
five and it's going to be implemented by twenty twenty six.
Could they move a bit quicker? Are you just happy
they're moving at all?

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Oh? Really happy that this moving. What happened, Mike is
that over the years New Zealanders have increasingly used and
Zac Day to remember and honor those men and women
who have served in more recent conflicts. So you know,
it's really tiny that the Anzac Day legislation we'll catch
up and explicitly recognize these men and women.

Speaker 1 (00:40):
Now here's the interesting thing. Anzac Day is my favorite day.
That's the right word to use. It's the most sort
of important day to me that we mark. But I
always thought that if you served, you were on ited.
I mean, I didn't realize that there were some who
did and some who didn't. Does it matter?

Speaker 2 (00:57):
It matters to those men and women who have put
their life on the line for our country and really
difficult and dangerous circumstances. To have this recognition would be
fantastic to them.

Speaker 1 (01:10):
They say the government, this is mister pink that it's
more complicated than we think, is it in terms of
recognition and who to recognize and who not to recognize?

Speaker 2 (01:19):
Well to what broadly recognized those from current conflicts. It
is when you're talking about legislation. But the important thing
about ZACT Day is to look in to see that
this is a time for us as New Zealanders to
really recognize these people who have put their life on
the line to serve our country and to keep us safe.

Speaker 1 (01:38):
Yeah, could not agree more. Bernardine go well, appreciate it.
Bernardine mackenzie had a Veterans Affairs with us this morning.

Speaker 2 (01:43):
For more from the My Asking Breakfast, listen live to
news talks that'd be from six am weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.