`No increased military powers!'

BY KAMALA EMANUEL

HOBART -- Chanting “Tax the rich, not the poor. Money for jobs, not for war!”, protesters braved rain to demonstrate their opposition to increased military spending at the federal government's Defence Review 2000 “community consultation” in Lindisfarne on August 23. The action was called by the Democratic Socialist Party and Resistance.

The consultation, involving meetings across Australia since mid-July, is being promoted as an opportunity for all people to express their views on the future of Australian defence. In reality it is an attempt to increase public support for more military spending and more Australian military intervention in the region and beyond.

The activists distributed leaflets calling for the billions of dollars earmarked for the military to be diverted to health care, schools and other services, and to untied aid to other countries in the region to help them overcome imperialist-enforced underdevelopment.

The picketers also condemned the Defence Legislation Amendment (Aid to the Civilian Authorities) Bill now before the Senate.

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