Military Spending

Although 70 per cent of the Australian people want less money spent of the military, the Rudd Government has increased military spending to $71 million every single day ($25 billion a year).

High military spending steals resources from other, more important things like public education, hospitals, social welfare, and environmental protection and undermines sustainable development.

Only the huge arms companies benefit from this gigantic military spending with their profits doubling over the last 13 years, despite the global economic crisis.

Spending $25 billion a year on war preparations make Australia poorer, not safer Real, lasting security comes with jobs, steady food supplies, homes, clean water, warmth, education and health care, democracy, all which are fundamental human rights.

Government military spending should be cut immediately by at least 10 per cent and the funds saved spent instead to improve and expand our public health system and solve the water crisis and for measures to reduce global warming.

Communist Alliance policies include:

Convert military-related industries to socially useful and environmentally sustainable production with a consequent creation of additional employment.
End the Australian military alliance with the US.
End the hosting of US military bases on Australian soil.
End military exercises with the US military which are designed to train Australian troops to fight under US orders in US and not Australian interests.
Ban any involvement in the production, testing or deployment of any components of nuclear, space, biological, chemical or any other weapons of mass destruction, including banning the mining, processing and export of uranium.
Support the abolition of all nuclear weapons through the Nuclear Weapons Convention.
End the supply of military equipment and military training for repressive regimes.
Withdraw Australian troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Communist Alliance policies would be funded partially from the $2.5 billion a year provided by a ten per cent cut in the current military budget.

Print version of this policy (PDF)

Authorised by T Pearson, 74 Buckingham St, Surry Hills 2010