War and peace have become important issues in the City of Newcastle (CoN) Council elections on September 14.
The Labor majority and two Greens councillors have supported offshore wind power generation, a nuclear-free city and banning investment in the “production or supply of armaments”. So it was a surprise when the federal government announced on August 22 it intends to build a weapons factory in the Newcastle Airport precinct.
Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes and CoN Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Bath are board members of Williamtown (Newcastle) Airport, as the commercial airport facilities and land are jointly owned by the Newcastle and Port Stephen’s Councils.
Charlotte McCabe, Greens Councillor and mayor candidate, criticised the plan. Pat Conroy, Minister of Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, retorted that explosive warheads would not be installed on the Joint Strike Missiles (JSM), which are to be manufactured in the proposed plant.
McCabe said she had been told by council officers that “bombs” would not be made at Williamtown. However, Conroy ignores the fact that the proposed weapons plant is located in the immediate vicinity of the Williamtown RAAF base, which shares part of the runway with commercial aviation.
JSMs are designed for the F-35A Joint Strike Fighters, which are housed at the RAAF base.
I am totally opposed to the further militarisation of the Williamtown Airport. Council should be acting on its own admission that there is a climate emergency. It should encourage research and workforce development, and investment in the transition to renewables.
Offshore wind power generation, for example, has the potential to create a lot more unionised jobs, compared to building missiles. It is also safer and more sustainable.
The proposed missile factory opens the door for the military-industrial complex to inveigle communities into supporting war — including the genocide we are all witness to in Gaza.
Labor’s “progressive” image had started to tarnish, even before the missile building announcement.
Council support for the SuperCars race, along with its grandiose infrastructure, privatisation and other controversies, had been undermining trust in Labor for years.
Earlier this year, Labor life member Ross Kerridge lost preselection for lord mayor against Nelmes, by 104 votes to 134 respectively.
Kerridge has since resigned from Labor to run for lord mayor on the Our Newcastle ticket.
Our Newcastle includes community activists and former Labor members. It is contesting all 12 council spots.
The Liberal Party is so immersed in factional warfare that it could not lodge most of its nominations. It has a candidate for lord mayor, but didn’t manage to complete a nomination for Ward 3.
I am running for Socialist Alliance, as the mayoral candidate and for councillor in Ward 1, alongside long-time union and community activist Samantha Ashby, and TAFE student and single mum Stefani Strazzari.
I am a TAFE worker, a public transport and social justice activist, and our ticket is calling for action on housing and jobs.
With 3000 vacant homes in Ward 1 alone, council should tax the owners or make them tenant at affordable prices to help meet the housing crisis.
Council must also stick to its agreed commitments not to engage with the weapons industry and to remain nuclear-free.
It should embrace the climate movement and join the push for fossil fuel workers to be retrained for offshore wind power and other renewable industries, that are both sustainable and an investment in peace.
[Steve O’Brien is running for Lord Mayor of Newcastle City Council and for councillor in Ward 1. To get involved visit Socialist Alliance Newcastle or ring 0490 122 377.]