NZ Budget, Frigates or Families / Welfare or warfare?

April 30, 2014 by IPB

The NZ Budget was released on Thursday, 16 May, and military spending has gone up by an unexpected 13.82% from last year, tragic. We published some comparative facts and figures in the GDAMS Aoteroa New Zealand index page and on Facebook.

The “centrepiece” of the Budget was a $493 million package for families, and as the Budget included a $446 million combat capability upgrade for the navy’s two frigates, the similarity of the amounts led to a ‘Frigates or Families?’ comparison. Our comments on the Budget – pre and post release – have been compiled into ‘Frigates or Families / Welfare or warfare? Comments on Budget 2014’.

Incidentally, the frigates’ combat capability upgrade also highlighted the NZ government’s ongoing complicity around nuclear weapons production – despite the Crown Financial Institutions divesting from Lockheed Martin some years ago because of its involvement in the production of nuclear weapons and cluster munitions, both banned under NZ law, the contract for the combat upgrade was awarded to Lockheed Martin Canada.

Source: Peace Movement Aotearoa,  17 May 2014