The huge amount spent on submarines alone (between $71–96 billion) would be enough to build 160,000 to 216,000 homes.
Retrofitting 1 million homes to make them energy efficient (with insulation, double-glazed windows and draught sealing) would cost about $3.7 billion — less than what is being spent on underwater drones. Making homes energy efficient would save $2 billion a year in electricity bills, reduce energy use by 9135 gigawatt hours a year and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by just under 2.5 million tonnes a year.
That sort of money could fund the construction of high-speed rail from Magan-djin/Brisbane to Gadigal Country/Sydney to Naarm/Melbourne, or fund free public transport nationwide, forever.
More dollars are being spent on building nine Hunter Class frigates, at about $7 billion a vessel, than is being spent on Snowy Hydro 2.0, despite that project’s significant cost blow outs.
Labor’s priorities were laid bare when, just one week after Marles’ announcement, health minister Mark Butler announced cuts to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), which will throw 160,000 people off the supports.
Countless hospitals, schools, aged-care and child-care facilities could be constructed. Welfare payments could be raised to the poverty line or higher. All student HECS/HELP debts could be cancelled.
But instead of this, or the myriad other social goods that should be prioritised, Labor has chosen to spend billions on killing machines and associated infrastructure. | 
