At a General Meeting of students in the University of Qld Students Union, on 22nd March 2023,
Motion: That the UQU condemns the Albanese Labor government’s proposal to spend $368 billion on submarines. The UQU affirms its opposition to the AUKUS pact, which was originally the brainchild of the Scott Morrison Liberal government. We demand that the money be spent on something that will actually benefit us, like education, healthcare, housing, newstart, high-speed rail, renewable energy etc.
Moved by: Sam Adams Second by: Claire Sturm
Background:
Australia’s announced acquisition of nuclear submarines will escalate the arms race in our region, increase the likelihood of a catastrophic conflict with Australia’s involvement, and cost an estimated $368 billion.
This is a dangerous waste of money.
$368 billion is an obscene amount of money to be spending on military equipment while so many people are struggling to make ends meet with no relief in sight. Additionally, there are many worthy long-term initiatives that the money could go towards which would benefit all of us.
It is abundantly clear that the so-called “forward defence” military strategy that Australia is adopting is really a strategy of power projection, and is intended to further our own imperialist ambitions.
It is Australia, as a sub-imperialist power in collaboration with US imperialism, driven by the interests of capital, that will drag us into another world war. Such a war would be catastrophic and we must seek to prevent it. The way to prevent it is for us students, and the rest of the working class to take a unified stance against the imperialist ambitions of the ruling class.
We affirm that the working class of all nations have a common interest against war, and against imperial expansionism. It is the working class of all nations who are slaughtered in war, and it is the ruling classes who get richer.