Stand Together: Boycott Anzac Services Until the Government Listens To Veterans.
Last week, Willie Apiata VC made headlines when he handed his Victoria Cross to Veterans’ Minister Chris Penk, vowing not to take it back until the law changes. His protest was about one simple, just demand: fixing the outdated criteria that exclude many service personnel from being recognised as veterans.
Apiata’s noble and courageous act should be a wake-up call for all veterans. If a Victoria Cross recipient must resort to such measures to be heard on our behalf, what should the rest of the veterans community do to support his lead?
Here’s a thought.
Anzac Day is sacred. It’s a day to honour the fallen, remember their sacrifice, and stand in solidarity with those who served. But this Anzac Day, New Zealand’s veterans should consider sending a powerful message to the government: No more empty words. No more broken promises. No more apathy and indifference.
It’s time for New Zealand veterans to boycott the official Dawn and Civic Services in 2025—not to dishonour Anzac Day, but to reclaim it from politicians, senior officers and bureaucrats who exploit our service while failing to act on the systemic neglect of New Zealand veterans.
Why Boycott the Official Services?
We are not saying don’t commemorate Anzac Day. Far from it. Gather at private vigils, lay wreaths at memorials, stand with your mates—but don’t continue to give those responsible for the dysfunctional state of New Zealand veterans support a platform to pretend they care.
Every year, the same officials who block progress on veterans’ rights and support stand before us, praising our sacrifice and service while doing nothing to uphold it. Enough.
The Paterson Report and the Unfulfilled Promise
In 2018, the Paterson Report into the Veterans’ Support Act 2014 laid bare the failures in how New Zealand treats its veterans. 64 recommendations were accepted by Ron Mark in May 2018, of which less than half were fully actioned. Recommendation 63 was clear: the government must urgently review the criteria for who qualifies as a veteran, ensuring fair recognition and support for all who served. This is the recommendation WIllie Apiata has made a stand on and is one of 13 recommendations that weren’t actioned by the government despite being accepted by Ron Mark in May 2018.
Seven years later, nothing has changed. Veterans still fight for basic entitlements, fair compensation, timely support and respect. Successive governments have had ample time to act—instead, they offer pithy 10-second sound bites and political buzz phrases at Anzac services while ignoring veterans the rest of the year. As Willie Apiata noted in his comments, he’d spoken on the recognition criteria issue to Ron Mark, Meka Whaitiri and Peeni Henare, all of whom, as respective Ministers ‘for’ Veterans failed to action the outstanding Paterson Report recommendations.
However, it’s not just politicians, but also senior NZDF officers and bureaucrats from Veterans Affairs NZ and other government agencies who are blocking progress on veterans rights and support.
– Late in 2024 the Chief of Defence Force, Air Marshal Tony Davies recommended against a review of the Veterans’ Support Act in 2025, postponing it indefinitely despite the fact that government has left the last review barely half completed and therefore still unfit for purpose.
– Late in 2024 the General Manager of Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand appealed (to the High Court for a second time) a decision by the Veterans’ Entitlements Appeal Board, which ruled glioblastoma should be treated as a service-related condition under the Veterans’ Support Act 2014, and thus is entitled to a disablement pension. This despite a claim under the previous War Pensions Act 1954 (known as the Kenyon claim), which was upheld. In that case, Kenyon was a veteran who, like Tā Harawira, had served in Vietnam and was exposed to Agent Orange. The equivalent Appeal Board under the previous Act concluded there was reasonable evidence that Kenyon’s glioblastoma was probably or possibly attributable to his service, although the condition or illness was excluded from the presumptive condition list.
The same politicians, senior NZDF leadership and bureaucrats who treat veterans with apathy and indifference the other 364 days of the year will on Anzac Day stand above veterans and proclaim their “respect” and “admiration” for them and “thank them for their service”.
This may seem like an extreme idea, yet consider the countless attempts over the years by thousands of veterans advocating for policy and law changes using the system as it was designed, and none of it being listened to by the officials responsible. The 2017 review of the Veterans Support Act alone saw thousands of hours of work put into written and verbal submissions as well as meeting with Professor Ron Paterson and his team on numerous occasions across the country at their own expense. The official, proper channels have been tried again and again. They haven’t worked. Time for something different. Willie Apiata has demonstrated integrity and courage on behalf of all veterans. Let’s stand together with him and support ourselves.
What You Can Do
· Organise alternative commemorations—march with fellow veterans, not politicians.
· Wear your medals proudly, but refuse to participate in official ceremonies.
· Demand action on Recommendation 63—flood MPs’ offices with letters, petitions, and calls.
· Share this message—veterans, families, supporters: stand together.
Anzac Day Belongs to Veterans and their whanau, Not Politicians
This is not about disrespect. It’s about forcing respect where it’s due. The government has ignored us for too long. If they won’t act, we won’t play along.
Boycott the 2025 Dawn and Civic Services. Honour Anzac Day your way—and make the government earn their place beside us.
Lest We Forget—and Lest They Forget Their Duty to Us.
