“The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that weapons giant Lockheed Martin will be late on its delivery of Te Kaha, the first of the Navy frigates being upgraded in Canada. This military contract is just a slush fund for the world’s largest weapons company,” said Valerie Morse, member of Auckland Peace Action.

“The forecast date for delivery was June 2020. Now it is December 2020. This is alongside a nearly $200 million cost blowout. It is absolutely outrageous that we are funneling money to a nuclear weapons producer to upgrade military vessels we don’t need. People in this country are dying in our underfunded hospitals and living on the streets.”

“These frigates were purchased primarily to help fight wars in places like the Persian Gulf. They are not fit for New Zealand’s purposes, but for those of the US and Australia. We need to scrap these white elephants and abandon any ideas about future replacements.”

“When you have warships, you fight wars. The last thing we need to be doing is sending the NZDF to help Trump threaten the Iranians.”

ENDS

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