The government has announced an additional $1 billion of
military spending today on top of $12 billion of spending
already announced over the next four years. These plans will
take New Zealand’s annual military budget to approximately
2% of GDP.
“The budget will have the most severe
cuts in decades, and yet there are billions to wage war with
the United States. This is absolutely the wrong priority,
and frankly I find it sickening,” said Valerie Morse,
member of Peace Action Wellington.
“Clearly the
money is there. It is a matter of priorities. Most New
Zealanders would say their priority is a health system that
is there for them if they get sick. Right now, that
doesn’t exist.”
“Health NZ has just announced
1800 further job cuts. Our doctors, nurses and health care
assistants are on strike demanding safe conditions in our
hospitals. More than 180,000 people are waiting for their
first specialist appointment, with 40% of these waiting more
than 4 months. Our people are dying now. These are the real
threats to life and security in this
country.”
“Where is the multi-billion
dollar funding to rebuild our health system? Where is the
commitment to investing in broken health infrastructure and
an adequate workforce? Instead what we see is a government
intent on destroying the public health system, dismantling
it to the point it does not
function.”
“We firmly reject the
entire basis of this $12 billion military spend-up. We keep
getting told that the global situation is dangerous and that
there are “rising tensions.” This is the US framing
their agenda as our problem. It isn’t our problem.
Instead, for a healthy and prosperous country, we must steer
very clear of being involved with the US military and its
murderous imperial adventures.”
“The US is
scaremongering about China. It is in the US’s interest to
pick a fight with China, to surround it and threaten it.
This has absolutely nothing to do with New Zealand’s own
defence and
security.”
Advertisement – scroll to continue reading
