NZ Defence Industry Association annual conference – “defence”?
Posted: November 11, 2015 Filed under: Letters | Tags: "war on terror", Chris Whelan, corporate global economy, defence, disarmament, economics, fear, globalisation, ISIS, Lockheed Martin, military, money, New Zealand, nuclear weapons, peace and war, Positively Wellington Venues, TSB Centre, USA, WCC, Wellington, Wellington Regional Development Agence Leave a commentThe Editor, The Dominion Post, Wellington
09 November, 2015
Dear Editor:
Sanji Gunasekara (6 Nov) and Noeline Gannaway (4 Nov) are on the mark. The so-called “defence” (NZ Defence Industry Association) annual conference on 17/18 November has been approved by Positively Wellington Venues of Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency (WREDA) to use the TSB Centre in Wellington which is a WCC facility. Do Chris Whelan (WCC Chief Executive Officer), WREDA, the Mayor or council members know what military activities around the globe these many contractors are selling into?
In an increasingly militarized world the term “defence” has become used to describe any military equipment no matter what its application. Will the USA extend its global empire with input from these companies? Will another nation choose a war option instead of negotiation, draining its national economy? Will another hospital be (mistakenly?) bombed with weapons produced with input from these companies? Will principle conference sponsor Lockheed Martin (USA) find source for their nuclear weapons production facility? Will ISIS purchase or capture weapons manufactured with input from these companies? That WREDA apparently is not interested in these questions does not allow Wellington, as a community of people, to hide from them.
Sincerely,
Richard Keller
published Wed, 11/11/2015
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