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Merri-Bek councillors Sue Bolton & Monica Harte are calling a community rally in the local Merri-Bek rally following the passing of the motion declaring opposition to the Australian government’s plan to spend more than $368 billion dollars on the purchase of nuclear-powered submarines. The council also declared Merri-bek to be a nuclear free zone.
The purchase of nuclear submarines represents a massive escalation of militarism in the Asia-Pacific region and undermines peace in the world. Nuclear submarines also create highly dangerous nuclear waste. This means that the government will be imposing a highly dangerous nuclear waste dump on a community.
The $368 billion dollar price tag for the submarines will seriously reduce funding for local councils, state governments and urgent issues such as the climate, housing, health and aged care crises.
The world’s combined militaries and the weapons manufacturers contribute an estimated 6% of global carbon emissions (Scientists for Global Responsibility). The real figure is likely to be much higher because a loophole in international agreements means governments are not required to report greenhouse gas emissions emitted by their armed forces.
We need to stop the government wasting extraordinary amounts of money on weapons for an arms race, when the money is needed for urgent climate action and many other urgent social needs and essential services. That means that we need to build broad community opposition to the purchase of nuclear-powered submarines.
The rally is demanding that the Federal Labor government;
- Sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
- Abolish the nuclear-powered submarine contract and redirect the money to essential services, such as real action to address the climate crisis as well as the housing, health and aged care crises
- Abandon plans to build a nuclear waste dump.
Endorsed by
- Friends of the Earth
- International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)
- No AUKUS Coalition Vic
- Brunswick United Church
- Maritime Union of Australia (MUA)
If you are part of an organisation or group that would like to endorse the rally you can contact the organisers via the details below.