Latest news with #JustDefence
Scoop
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Protest Tuesday In Wellington : Stop US Aggression Against Iran
Press Release – Just Defence This is a war of opportunity the U.S. and Israel are trying to topple the government of Iran to advance their own regional and geopolitical objectives. They should be viewed as rogue states. Wellington peace group Just Defence has teamed with Justice for Palestine to organise a 'snap action' demonstration on the Defence HQ lawn on Bowen Street on Tuesday June 24 from 12.30pm to 1.30pm. Similar protests are happening around the world as the U.S. launches yet another war of aggression, this time against Iran. As with all their previous wars, there is a narrative that does not stand up to scrutiny. For the past 20 years the collective agencies who comprise the U.S. intelligence community have said Iran does not have an active nuclear weapons programme. So does the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the IAEA. Iran was not on the brink of attacking anyone. Negotiations were ongoing. This moment was seized on to attempt regime change. This nuclear issue is being used as a pretext, just as fake narratives about Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction were used by the U.S. and its allies to wreck Iraq following its invasion in 2003. We must not let another country be destroyed by the U.S. and Israel. We urge our government to distance itself from these violent, irresponsible states which are simultaneously committing genocide against the people of Palestine. This is a war of opportunity – the U.S. and Israel are trying to topple the government of Iran to advance their own regional and geopolitical objectives. They should be viewed as rogue states. Aotearoa New Zealand should reject this US-Israeli militarism that includes: The surprise attack on Iran The genocide in Gaza The relentless attacks and land thieving on the West Bank Assassinations across the region Bombings in Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and Iraq. Aotearoa needs to stand for peace, justice and an end to wars of aggression.
Scoop
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Protest Tuesday In Wellington : Stop US Aggression Against Iran
Wellington peace group Just Defence has teamed with Justice for Palestine to organise a 'snap action' demonstration on the Defence HQ lawn on Bowen Street on Tuesday June 24 from 12.30pm to 1.30pm. Similar protests are happening around the world as the U.S. launches yet another war of aggression, this time against Iran. As with all their previous wars, there is a narrative that does not stand up to scrutiny. For the past 20 years the collective agencies who comprise the U.S. intelligence community have said Iran does not have an active nuclear weapons programme. So does the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the IAEA. Iran was not on the brink of attacking anyone. Negotiations were ongoing. This moment was seized on to attempt regime change. This nuclear issue is being used as a pretext, just as fake narratives about Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction were used by the U.S. and its allies to wreck Iraq following its invasion in 2003. We must not let another country be destroyed by the U.S. and Israel. We urge our government to distance itself from these violent, irresponsible states which are simultaneously committing genocide against the people of Palestine. This is a war of opportunity – the U.S. and Israel are trying to topple the government of Iran to advance their own regional and geopolitical objectives. They should be viewed as rogue states. Aotearoa New Zealand should reject this US-Israeli militarism that includes: The surprise attack on Iran The genocide in Gaza The relentless attacks and land thieving on the West Bank Assassinations across the region Bombings in Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and Iraq. Aotearoa needs to stand for peace, justice and an end to wars of aggression.
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
'Unreliably' Managed Defence Spending Gets A 25% Funding Boost As Essential Public Services And Pay Equity Are Cut
Press Release – Just Defence The Budget includes over $1 billion of new capital investment for Defence, plus an additional $1.6 billion from Budget 2026. The government plans to increase total defence spending by more than $12 billion over the next 4 years. New Zealanders should be questioning why defence is one of the few areas of government spending that is getting a massive boost in spending. At $6.1 billion a year*, spending on defence is the 8th largest slice of government spending. 'Total defence spending over the next year will be as much as we will spend on the Police, Justice, the Courts and Conservation combined', said Just Defence spokesperson, Kevin Hackwell. The Budget includes over $1 billion of new capital investment for Defence, plus an additional $1.6 billion from Budget 2026. The government plans to increase total defence spending by more than $12 billion over the next 4 years. 'This represents a massive 25% funding increase at a time when other essential public services are being cut and many women are being required to earn less than their male equivalents for similar work.' 'This increased Defence spending is part of the government's 'virtue signalling' to the USA at a time when the United States is proving to be a very erratic and unreliable ally.' Defence is getting a significant increase in funding just a year after the Auditor General slammed as ' entirely unreliable, ' ** the Defence Force's poor accounting for the public money it is already receiving'. 'Any government agency that can't properly account for its spending should not be getting massive increases at a time when so many well managed essential public services are being cut'. It is time for New Zealanders to seriously question our high level of spending on defence, and even whether we need a defence force? Notes: * Defence Force $5,357 million + Ministry of Defence $496million + GCSB $263 million ** Page 5 of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee's 2022/23 Annual review of the Ministry of Defence and the New Zealand Defence Force.
