The establishment of New Zealand's first expert panel on war veterans' health issues has been described as "totally positive" by one of the men behind its formation.
John Campbell, of Dunedin, who is immediate past-president of the New Zealand Returned and Services Association and a founding member of the panel, says he is "absolutely delighted".
"Cynics might say it could have come a lot earlier, but better late than never."
While its terms of reference had to be confirmed, preliminary discussions indicated it would have two roles - to consider war-related health issues, and to recommend what level of war pensions should be paid to eligible veterans.
Mr Campbell hoped the panel would be able to widen the range of medical conditions for which war pensions were paid to include modern-day battlefield conditions such as post traumatic stress disorder and different types of cancer.
The creation of the panel was one of the major clauses in a memorandum of understanding signed between the Crown, the RSA and the Ex Vietnam Services Association in 2006.
Mr Campbell, who was national RSA president then, said the formation of the panel was further evidence that both the previous Labour government and the current Government were committed to honouring the memorandum.
"This is real progress.
It's a totally positive move.
There is nothing negative about it at all," he said last night.
The only layman on the panel, Mr Campbell (70) described himself as "the voice of the veterans among a star-studded gallery".
He said the panel had not met yet and he was not sure how many times a year it would meet.
Alongside the creation of the panel, the War Pensions Act, 1954, was being reviewed by former prime minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer and the Law Commission.
Both processes would "raise expectations" among veterans of greater eligibility and increased compensation payments, Mr Campbell said.
It was his hope increased war pensions would be paid to veterans, whom he described as "New Zealand's living roll of honour".
Announcing the establishment of the panel, Veterans' Affairs Minister Judith Collins said it was "a real opportunity for the veterans community to address issues of health and wellbeing".
NZ war veterans
•There are about 50,000 war veterans, between 35,000 and 40,000 of them WW2 veterans.
•The youngest WW2 veterans are in their mid-80s
•A veteran awarded a 100% disability pension receives just under $10,000 a year, on top of any other income or benefit
•The average disability pension is an estimated $3000 a year
The veterans health panel
University of Otago geriatric medicine specialist Prof John Campbell, chairman.
Other members: University of Otago cancer specialist Assoc Prof Brian Cox (Dunedin), University of Otago pharmacology and internal medicine specialist Prof Timothy Maling (Wellington), health law specialist Dr Marie Bismark (Wellington), Auckland medical school head and former Royal New Zealand Navy medical services director Prof Des Gorman (Auckland), Burwood Hospital brain injury rehabilitation service medical director Dr Alastair Macleod (Christchurch), Vietnam veteran, former national RSA president and former Dunedin Hospital chief executive John Campbell (Dunedin).
