IS ECONOMICAL WITH THE TRUTH ALIVE AND WELL? by Neal Catley

On Monday 6 January 2025 I sent a letter to the Office of the Minister for Veterans entitled ‘Competition of Interest.’   The letter briefly referenced Professor Ron Paterson’s Report: Warrant of Fitness – an independent review of the Veterans’ Support Act 2014.   I questioned the accuracy of the “VANZ Brief for Veterans – Enclosure 2 Submission to the Minister Cover Sheet on 15 August 2024.”    Apart from the Minister’s automatic standard holding reply, my letter remains unanswered, and his office resuscitation of it is unlikely.

On Friday 11 April 2025, the Minister for Veterans announced his new Veterans Advisory Board.  It was the second time without an RNZN representative.   After nearly a month following posts to New Zealand military websites about this glaring anomaly without any answers, Frank Rands sought an explanation from the new VAB secretary.   The reply:

Quote.
From: Robinson, Sara <Sara.Robinson@nzdf.mil.nz>
Date: Wed, 7 May 2025 at 10:07
Subject: Unclassified: Veterans’ Advisory Board
To: frank@randsclan.com <frank@randsclan.com>

Kia Ora Sir.   Thanks, you for your email of 6 May. I can confirm that there is a naval veteran member of the VAB – Melissa Ross, former Deputy Chief of Navy.   I apologise that this has not been recorded on the website. I have now arranged to have the list updated, and this is being done as soon as possible.    Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any further queries.

Ngā Mihi
Sara
Sara Robinson
Secretary, Veterans Advisory Board
Unquote.

P.S.     As a young lad, I was allowed to go to the Saturday Matinee FLICKS, where I enjoyed watching ‘Roy Rogers’ and the ‘Durango Kid’ films, which always featured cowboys and Indians.   In those films, when the Indians were surrounded, their Chief would say, “Cowboy – speaks with forked tongue.”   It seems that not much has changed since those days!