Wargames a waste of money - activists

  • 23/06/2018
The USS Carl Vinson.
The USS Carl Vinson. Photo credit: Getty

Anti-war activists say New Zealand's involvement in international wargames that begin later this month is a waste of money.

Protesters will gather at the Devonport Naval Base on Saturday afternoon to oppose Rim of the Pacific, known as RIMPAC - the world's biggest naval exercise.

Campaigner Valerie Morse says New Zealand forks out $10 million a day on the military.

"What we're doing is essentially planning for another war," she told Newshub. "I think most New Zealanders would think of a lot of other things they'd like to see $10 million spent on, including health care, education and housing."

Twenty-six nations will participate in the maritime war exercises in Hawaii and southern California, including the US, Australia, Japan, France, Germany, the UK and - for the first time - Israel.

"While the IDF is busily shooting unarmed protesters in Gaza and the West Bank, and terrorising civilian peace flotillas that seek to break Israel's illegal blockade of Gaza, other parts of the Israeli Navy will be deployed in the Pacific to help shore up US power," says Ms Morse.

Defence Force documents show it has an annual budget of about $3.2 billion - about 1 percent of New Zealand's GDP.

Members of Auckland Peace Action and the Pacific Panthers will start protesting at 3pm.

"We need to be looking at what is going on, who they're practising with and who they're waging pretend wars with - because those pretend wars are going to turn into real wars," says Ms Morse.

Capt Matthew Paradise, commanding officer of US aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, said it was a "chance for us to showcase what we do and strengthen relationships with our international partners".

The US Navy said in a release RIMPAC would include training on "amphibious operations, gunnery, missile, anti-submarine and air defense exercises as well as military medicine, humanitarian assistance and disaster response. Units will also train in counter-piracy, mine clearance operations, explosive ordnance disposal, and diving and salvage operations".

"There are a lot of opportunities to build camaraderie," said Capt Paradise.

Newshub.