Media release 30/6/20
Prime Minister opts for a military led recovery from the Covid recession
The prospect of the Australian Government spending $270 billion on military spending is backward thinking and ultimately a disadvantage for all Australians.
“We now know why the Australian Government has been conducting a scare campaign about China and Chinese cyber warfare to build up a fear of China which allow Australians to coalesce in the exorbitant spending proposed.” Said Denis Doherty of the Australian Anti-Bases Campaign.
“There is no tension in the Indo Pacific areas just those manufactured by the Morrison Government in a partnership with US arms manufacturers so as to rush Australians to buy exorbitant and unnecessary weaponry.”
“Scott Morrison has deliberately ignored the role of China in the Covid crisis where this socialist country has aided many millions with medical personnel and medical equipment, it has even helped the State of New York in the US, Italy who was ignored by the EU in their darkest hour, and many more developing countries including those on sanctions by the US (eg Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran).”
“The US maintained all its sanctions on many millions across many countries causing their governments to be less able to assist their citizens suffering from the virus. As well it withdrew $400 million from the WHO which affected medical aid to many parts of Africa.”
“The Government continued to spend recklessly on the military amid the virus and is planning to get ADF forces to go exercises such as RIMPAC at the costs of many millions. All this money would be better spent on constructing more social housing and more socially useful projects such as job keeper.
“The Government is ideologically constructed to assist arms companies rather than the people of Australia or the region. As an illustration of the hypocrisy of the Government is evident in their approach to the Yemen war. Australia has donated $40 million to the UN fund for Yemen but just one Australian arms company has been given $36 million to supply weapons to the Saudis who are prosecuting the war in Yemen.
“We say the Morrison Government is on a path to causing more misery in Australia and the region at once again at the behest of the US Trump Administration.
For more information: Denis Doherty 0418 290 663