22 September 2008

RSA welcomes Veterans' Affairs appointment

The RNZRSA welcomes the appointment of Rick Ottaway to the position of General Manager Veterans' Affairs New Zealand.

"We are delighted that the appointment to the position of General Manager Veterans' Affairs New Zealand has been made," said RSA National President Robin Klitscher, "Rick Ottaway brings wide and relevant experience to the post together with determination and compassion. Among other things, his recent contributions as a Trustee of the Vietnam Veterans and their Families Trust testify to this."

"Given recent commitments by the Chief of Defence Force and the RNZRSA to reaffirm and to build upon relationships between those who are serving and those who have served - and their families - we look forward keenly to working with Mr Ottaway in his new role."

"Indeed, we think it is highly fitting that we will welcome him to our annual conference in early October as his first official engagement,' said Mr Klitscher.

"After all, the RNZRSA and Veterans' Affairs are concerned about the same constituency - the veteran community - and although our roles respectively as advocate and regulator are different, our relationship is key to ensuring that those who have served receive the very best that the country can do."

The MoU signed between the Crown and the RNZRSA and EVSA groups in December 2006 included commitments to several important projects that will affect all veterans of all wars and emergencies - indeed, all who have served in New Zealand's military. The current re-write of the War Pensions Act under the Law Commission is but one of them, although it is by far the largest and farthest-reaching.

"Alongside the new General Manager, we believe we can move forward to successful conclusions in all of these things, with confidence," said Mr Klitscher.

ENDS

© Scoop Media