Can I start with Margaret? I have to say that we don't do enough for Margaret, and that's one of the things I've asked the Law Commission to look at when we do the rewrite of the War Pensions Act. We're going to change the name of it to the Veterans Act to reflect what it really is. It's not about pensions. We want it to be about veterans and to focus on a much more holistic approach to veterans. Part of that is the family and the spouse. We do a little bit to help spouses, but in my opinion, it's not enough. They are the ones who carry the burden more than anybody else.
I'll ask Fiona to talk about the veterans numbers and the definition of a veteran.
I can say that the budget for Veterans' Affairs New Zealand is relatively small because of our system. All of the war pensions, the war disablement pensions, are put through the Ministry of Social Development budget, so we don't see that as money coming in here. Nearly all of the money we spend on veterans for health care comes out of the health budget, so we don't see any of that in Veterans' Affairs. Unlike the U.S., which has its own separate hospitals, all of our veterans health care is done through public health.
Regarding housing, I would say to you in all honesty there's not a veteran in New Zealand who doesn't have a house. If there were a veteran who didn't have a house, we would have a house for them tomorrow. All of our social housing is looked after through the Ministry of Housing New Zealand, so they'll get a house.
Many of the things veterans get are distributed right through the state system, so it's very difficult for me to qualify and say how much we spend on veterans, other than what we have in the Veterans' Affairs budget. But we'll give you those figures.
Now I'll ask Fiona to give you the definition of a veteran. This is Fiona Macrae. She's my number one adviser and guide on all these things.
Fiona.