Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard referred to the plaques, describing them as "snapshots of the shared and lasting bonds between our two nations". Photo / Getty Images
MPs will give way to New Zealand soldiers - including SAS troops - and their families this evening for a ceremony in Parliament's debating chamber to mark the Defence Force's service and losses in overseas conflict.
In a rare move, up to 200 people will be allowed on to the
floor of the House during Parliament's dinner break for the unveiling of three commemorative plaques which recognise New Zealanders wounded or killed in Afghanistan, Timor-Leste and on peace-keeping missions.
Defence Force officials, families of the soldiers, and elite troops will hear speeches by Speaker David Carter, Prime Minister John Key and Leader of the Opposition David Shearer.
The plaques are the first to be added to the debating chamber since the 1990s, when memorials for wars in Malaysia and Vietnam were put up.
New Zealand troops withdrew from Afghanistan in April after a 10-year deployment which cost the Defence Force 10 lives. More than 7000 New Zealanders served in operations in Timor-Leste between 1999 and 2012, and five were killed.
