Susan Price
This year’s budget included $755 million for intelligence and security arrangements as well as defence measures, which will exceed $1.5 billion over the next five years. This brings the total amount of additional defence spending by the government since 1996 to $39.7 billion.
The total defence budget for 2004-2005 is $18.7 billion, which means that under the federal Coalition government defence spending has almost doubled. Military spending now represents 1.9% of GDP in Australia.
When you get right down to it, the priority for this government is more Collins Class submarines rather than money for fully subsidised childcare places. It’s more Hercules transport aircraft rather than an injection of funding into national health care and disease prevention projects. It’s more maritime patrol craft rather than an expansion of Medicare. It’s frigates rather than family welfare.
Howard’s war on terror has become a war on the working poor, students, the aged and the ill in Australia.
The Socialist Alliance says: End this war on terror, and end the war on working people and those who have to rely on welfare payments.
[Susan Price is the Socialist Alliance candidate for the federal seat of Sydney.]
From Green Left Weekly, May 19, 2004.
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