'Arrogant' brush-off for vets' kids

Jill Nicholas was not disappointed by missing out on the Gallipoli ballot, but was not pleased by comments made by Veterans Affairs Minister Michael Woodhouse. Photo / Andrew Warner

Rotorua journalist Jill Nicholas missed out on the first Gallipoli ballot, even though her father Eric Neill served in Gallipoli. But, the real insult was comments made by the Veterans Affairs Minister.

For the second time in 99 years war is raging over the Gallipoli peninsula.

This time it's the children of New Zealand's original Anzac contingent who've gone in to battle, and it's not the Turks they're taking on but Veterans Affairs Minister Michael Woodhouse.

I am one of those children.

The Minister is in our firing line for the appalling way the ballot for places at next year's centennial commemoration has been handled, compounded by his cabinet paper contention most veterans' children would be over 75.

"Therefore of an age and health status that would preclude them attending in public capacity," the paper concluded.

What a presumptuous generalisation.

Vet's daughter, Gillian Dunkley of Akaroa, turned 70 last Sunday and recently walked America's 780km Camino Trail.

I'm under 75, my sister's five years younger.

There are at least 193 of us "Kiwi Anzac kids" around, that's how many entered the ballot. Heaven knows how many more didn't.

Initial undertakings that vets' children would automatically become eligible to salute their fathers at Gallipoli on Anzac Day 2015 haven't been honoured.

Hang on a minute, Minister, didn't your own cabinet paper say: "These children have a stronger case than any other descendant to attend the commemoration ... allocation of this group should be managed outside the ballot?"

Yet only 25 made the cut. That another 20 places are to be allocated shortly is cold comfort. With 6348 on the wait list I'm not holding my breath.

But it's not missing out on the ballot that's made me warring mad. I've sucked it up, moved on.

What's really got me and so many others spiking our guns is the Minister's assumption that we "of a certain age" are too old to meet the centennial celebrations' physical demands.

The ballot entry form stipulated attendees must be capable of walking the 8km from Gallipoli Cove to Chunuk Bair, where the Anzacs capitulated to the Turks' military might.

I applied, confident I could hack the distance, I've been to Gallipoli, I know reaching Chunuk Bair is a precipitous uphill hike.

I was left marvelling how our fighting force made it.

It is feats like this we children of those who undertook them wanted the right to honour. So be it if we didn't make the ballot but be it on the Minister's head for disparagingly branding us old before our time.

Such is the arrogance of youth.