A Few More Dollars for New Zealand Defense

[unhappycamper]

A Few More Dollars for New Zealand Defense
By NICK LEE-FRAMPTON
Published: 23 May 13:58 EDT (09:58 GMT

WELLINGTON - New Zealand's 2008-09 budget, announced May 22, includes 2.6 billion New Zealand (NZ) dollars ($2.04 billion) for defense.

Defence Minister Phil Goff said the budget invests 276.4 million NZ dollars in the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) over the next four years "as part of our sustained efforts to rebuild and modernize."

(It) will be used primarily to grow the NZDF and retain existing personnel," he said. "Funding for recruitment and retention is essential … to be able to attract and retain people in the face of a tight labor market, brought about by record low unemployment."

Pay for NZDF personnel is going up in July, with most people to receive between 10 percent and 12 percent more.

New Zealand's defense budget for 2007-08 was 1.9 billion New Zealand dollars.


Rest of article at: http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=3544422&c=ASI&s=AIR

[mac2]

1. When you are out of work build a military?

Is anyone attacking New Zealand? Are they to be the British fighters for Empire Building?

[Crazy Dave]

2. They even got lower taxes and free health care n/t

[mac2]

3. In this country we give illegal immigrants citizenship if they

serve in the military. They are law breakers but we give them that privilege anyway. Anything for Empire Building.

Right now the poor and the very rich have good health care and less taxes. The middle class don't.

[Crazy Dave]

4. Don't forget they're trying to make higher education less accessible too

Making the military seem like the only career and/or college option for disadvantaged youths in our society. Good point too about the immigrants. It's ok to hold a gun and kill someone in the middle east but not ok to hold a hammer or leaf blower and work here in the states.

[mac2]

5. Illegals are a huge union breaking group.

"not ok to hold a hammer or leaf blower and work here in the states."

I don't agree with either.

[Crazy Dave]

6. Agreed, wages and businesses also suffer

But there's also a humanitarian aspect of it. Who or what gives us the right to deny another human being from feeding and making a better life for his family?
Just my opinion but I also think government, share holders and board members have destroyed the unions more so than illegal workers. Unions used to be very powerful and feared politically therefore the government has eagerly helped corporations weaken them.