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Maori war veterans are urging the NZ Defence Force
to change the way it handles compensation
for soldiers wounded in service.
Jason Pore, an SAS soldier who was seriously injured
while serving in Afghanisatan over a decade ago,
claims the Defence Force are not looking after its soldiers.
Oriini Tipene Leach has more.
Jason Pore should be hailed a hero,
but instead he's being shafted by his former employers,
the NZ Defence Force.
The former Kiwi SAS soldier claims
he wasn't looked after properly by the Army
after he lost a leg serving in Afghanistan in 2002.
Pore's story is similar to the Nepata brothers',
who are still waiting for compensation
20 years after their ordeals.
It appears it's perfectly fine to send us into war in their view,
but when we return home
they have no compassion for us.
Ruka Hudson lost both his legs while serving in Vietnam.
He was offered a lump sum payment for his injuries, but refused,
opting instead for the War Pension.
I haven't had any problems in terms of money.
But he agrees that the laws need to be changed.
It's not easy under current processes for a person
to obtain a pension to support themselves.
I would say that this is an act of racism against Maori
as the majority of soldiers serving are Maori.
TVNZ's Sunday programme aired Pore's story last night
and it's believed the army
didn't want Mr Pore's story to be told.
Minister of Defence, Johnathan Coleman,
is in Vietnam and China this week.
His response and decision is yet to be made
on what will happen to the Nepata brothers' claim
on this side of Christmas.
Oriini Tipene-Leach, Te Karere.