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    While serving, the NZDF will take care of your health and wellbeing issues. If you have qualifying service, we may be able to provide you with home help. Register now with Veterans’ Affairs, and when you need some support, we’ll be ready to help you.
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    We can provide you with health, rehabilitation and financial support if you have a condition related to your service. We can also provide home help assistance and financial support for you to commemorate your service.
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    There are two types of financial contributions available from the Commemorative Fund.
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    The NZ Defence Force's Personnel Archives and Medals team ​administer medals and hold most New Zealand military service records.
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    The Certificate of Appreciation and Veteran's Pin recognise operational service.
    NZ Post Stamps
    This series of stamps explores the stories of 6 veterans deployed after 1995. You can purchase the stamps on the NZ Post website.
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    Veterans' Affairs New Zealand was established to support New Zealand veterans.
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    Veterans can experience physical and mental health conditions disproportionately compared to the general public. Different NZDF 'operations' may be linked to higher rates of specific conditions. Understanding a veteran's service can help you to understand their health.
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Home / About Veterans' Affairs / Our people /

Our people

Our people

Meet our Minister, leadership, and the teams that make up Veterans' Affairs.

Our Minister

A headshot of Chris Penk wearing a suit

Hon Chris Penk

The Minister for Veterans is the Hon Chris Penk.

Visit their profile on Beehive.govt.nz(external link)

The Minister's responsibilities include:

  • declaring operations as Qualifying Operational Service, and
  • appointing members to three advisory and appeal bodies.

Recent releases and speeches by the Minister for Veterans(external link)

View our Briefings to Incoming Ministers

Our leadership team

Bernadine Mackenzie, Head of Veterans' Affairs

Bernadine began her career as a registered nurse working in a variety of hospitals and community health services in New Zealand. She has over 25 years experience in the health sector, where she held a number of senior nursing and management roles. This included Manager of Community Health Services in Horowhenua, Service Manager at Hutt Valley Health and Director of Quality at Capital and Coast DHB.

In 2015 she joined the Department of Child, Youth and Family as General Manager Quality Assurance, later holding other key roles including General Manager Service Support and General Manager Youth Justice. In this role, Bernadine shepherded in the Government's youth justice Fresh Start reforms. This involved her nurturing strong relationships with NGO partners, and helping them build and strengthen programmes for young offenders.

She brings with her a wealth of experience in health, impairment support, social services and machinery of government. She’s a very experienced public servant with a commitment to providing the best possible support to her clients and their families.

As the Head of Veterans’ Affairs, Bernadine is appointed by the Chief of Defence Force in accordance with section 200 of the Veterans' Support Act 2014 and section 61A of the Defence Act 1990. 

There is a small Office of the Head of Veterans' Affairs team. This team provide advisory and administrative support to the Head of Veterans' Affairs, manages our finances and reporting, and provides a secretariat to the veterans' boards and panels.

Other members of the Veterans' Affairs Senior Leadership Team

Name Role
Alex Brunt Deputy Head of Veterans' Affairs
Michelle Williams Manager Veterans' Services
Rhonda Lin Senior Financial Advisor
Elaine Myers-Davies Manager Projects & Communications
Jo Elworthy Principal Advisor to the Head of Veterans' Affairs
Richard Johnston Manager of Business Systems

About Veterans' Affairs

Last Modified: 16 October 2024
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