Right now in Canberra the House Standing Committee on Economics is conducting an inquiry into the Flood Levy Bills, from the Prime Minister, seeking to raise $1.8 Billion towards a $5.6 Billion Commonwealth expense for infrastructure reconstruction.
The independents and Greens have used their numbers in the House, voting with the Liberal National Party, to force the Flood Levy Bills to an inquiry. The prevailing sentiment among them is that reconstruction can be funded through savings found in the budget.
The independent MP from NSW, Rob Oakeshot specifically raised Defence Spending as an alternative to welfare cuts and a new tax. He is reported as having said “if we got one less JSF (Joint Strike Fighter) – that’s $110 million right there,”
Several groups within the Australian Peace Movement have responded to this opportunity – to support disarmament and peace conversion – and are thinking about how to do this effectively. While tying it in to the other initiatives we have under way.
The Australian Anti Bases Campaign Coalition are using the inquiry to call for the cancellation of exercise TS11.
You can read the submission I made at the page to your right.