Minister for Veterans (New Zealand)

Minister for Veterans
Coat of arms of New Zealand
Flag of New Zealand
Incumbent
Chris Penk
since 27 November 2023
Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand
StyleThe Honourable
Member of
Reports toPrime Minister of New Zealand
AppointerGovernor-General of New Zealand
Term lengthAt His Majesty's pleasure

The Minister for Veterans is a minister in the New Zealand Government responsible for issues relating to veterans, including the Veteran's Pension, and supporting attendance by veterans at commemorative events.[1]

History

The position of Minister in charge of War Pensions was created during the First World War, with the earliest reference to that role in Hansard dated at June 1916 although it is unknown exactly when the first appointment was made. The earliest known holder was James Allen, then the Minister of Defence. Most subsequent war pensions ministers were also concurrently appointed as defence minister; the only exceptions were Arthur Kinsella, Michael Cullen, Roger Sowry and Don McKinnon.

The portfolio was renamed Minister of Veterans' Affairs on 1 September 1999. This followed the passage of the Veterans' Affairs Act 1999, which transferred responsibility for war pensions to the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).[2] Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand is a semi-autonomous unit within NZDF which provides administrative support to the Minister.[1] The portfolio title was changed again to Minister for Veterans on 26 October 2017.

List of ministers

The following ministers held the office of Minister for Veterans.

Key

  Reform   United   Labour   National   New Zealand First

No. Name Portrait Term of Office Prime Minister
1 James Allen June 1916 28 April 1920 Massey
2 Heaton Rhodes 21 July 1920 18 January 1926
Bell
Coates
3 Frank Rolleston 18 January 1926 26 November 1928
4 William Downie Stewart Jr 28 November 1928 10 December 1928
5 Thomas Wilford 10 December 1928 10 December 1929 Ward
6 John Cobbe 10 December 1929 6 December 1935
Forbes
7 Fred Jones 6 December 1935 13 December 1949 Savage
Fraser
8 Tom Macdonald 13 December 1949 26 September 1957 Holland
9 Dean Eyre 26 September 1957 12 December 1957 Holyoake
10 Phil Connolly 12 December 1957 12 December 1960 Nash
11 Arthur Kinsella 12 December 1960 12 December 1966 Holyoake
12 David Thomson 12 December 1966 9 February 1972
13 Allan McCready 9 February 1972 8 December 1972 Marshall
14 Arthur Faulkner 8 December 1972 10 September 1974 Kirk
15 Bill Fraser 10 September 1974 12 December 1975 Rowling
(13) Allan McCready 12 December 1975 13 December 1978 Muldoon
14 Frank Gill 13 December 1978 21 August 1980
(12) David Thomson 28 August 1980 26 July 1984
15 Frank O'Flynn 26 July 1984 24 July 1987 Lange
16 Michael Cullen 24 July 1987 2 November 1990
Palmer
Moore
17 Warren Cooper 2 November 1990 1 March 1996 Bolger
18 Paul East 1 March 1996 5 December 1997
19 Roger Sowry 5 December 1997 31 August 1998 Shipley
20 Don McKinnon 31 August 1998 10 December 1999
21 Mark Burton 10 December 1999 15 August 2002 Clark
22 George Hawkins 15 August 2002 19 October 2005
23 Rick Barker 19 October 2005 19 November 2008
24 Judith Collins 19 November 2008 14 December 2011 Key
25 Nathan Guy 14 December 2011 31 January 2013
26 Michael Woodhouse 31 January 2013 8 October 2014
27 Craig Foss 8 October 2014 20 December 2016
28 David Bennett 20 December 2016 26 October 2017 English
29 Ron Mark 26 October 2017 6 November 2020 Ardern
30 Meka Whaitiri 6 November 2020 3 May 2023
Hipkins
31 Peeni Henare[Note 1] 10 May 2023 27 November 2023
32 Chris Penk 27 November 2023 Incumbent Luxon

Notes

  1. ^ Henare acted in the portfolio from 3 May 2023 until his formal appointment on 10 May 2023.

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b "Veterans". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC). 10 May 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
  2. ^ "Veterans' Affairs Act 1999". New Zealand Legislation. 5 January 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2025.

Further reading

  • Wood, G.A., ed. (1996). Ministers and Members in the New Zealand Parliament (2nd ed.). Dunedin: University of Otago Press. ISBN 1-877133-00-0.
  • Spanhake, Craig, ed. (2006). Ministers and Members in the New Zealand Parliament: 1996-2005. Dunedin: Tarkwode Press. ISBN 0-9597868-2-1.
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