95bFM New Zealand’s defence spending increase is ‘an incredible shocking waste’
20 April, 2025
Interview by Oto Sequiera, adapted by Samantha Watson-Tayler
Peace Action Wellington’s Valerie Morse says the government’s $12 billion increase in defence spending is a “waste” and could be better spent elsewhere.
The government has announced increasing defence spending to $12 billion, which includes $9 billion in new spending, increasing spending to 2% of the GDP in the next eight years.
This comes amid the government’s public sector cuts, which include proposed cuts to the defence force.
Peace Action Wellington activist, Valerie Morse, told 95bFM’s The Wire that this increase in spending is “an incredibly shocking waste,” in light of other areas in need of support in Aotearoa, such as schools, hospitals, and housing.
“It shows that there's plenty of money for really desperately needed infrastructure, but also shows that this government's priorities are really out of whack with where society is at.”
Morse believes New Zealand is aligning with the United States' “anti-China campaign”.
“A couple of years ago, the United States essentially decided China was their strategic rival. That was not the position of New Zealand.”
She says this is not in the nation's best interest given China and New Zealand’s free trade agreements.
“Repeated New Zealand governments have said they have a very mature relationship with China.”
“New Zealand has followed along with the United States in adopting this very aggressive position to China, attempting to kind of encircle and contain China.”
Morse says for New Zealand and the Pacific the bigger threats lay in the climate crisis, piracy, and poaching of our fisheries — rather than potential military action by China.
She says instead that Aotearoa should be working with our other Pacific allies towards denuclearisation goals as other countries have indicated their interest in doing.
“We have a real opportunity to be a leader in peace and diplomacy.”
