By World BEYOND War, June 3, 2026

Lynda Topp is one of the Topp Twins folk singing and activist sister comedy duo from New Zealand / Aotearoa. She spoke at the Aotearoa Music Awards.

“I did a speed read on the budget this afternoon. There doesn’t appear to be any money for music, but in big, big letters in the top of the news: $2.1 billion for defence. What the f***!”

Poking fun at New Zealand’s size, she had the audience roaring with laughter questioning how the increase in the so-called defence budget would help, if New Zealand faced the threat of an invasion, and saying passionate musicians could probably do more on the battlefield than New Zealand’s military.

“What are we going to do if somebody invades Aotearoa? We’ve got approximately three tanks, and two of those are set in concrete in Waiouru,” Dame Lynda Topp said.

“If you give that 2.1 billion to the arts – wherever you are Mr Goldstein [sic] – you tell me what you’re gonna do with that $2.1?

“Because if you give it to us, you put Alien Weaponry up the front and you put Dick Moves next to them, and you put Hori Shaw on a horse behind them… and I’ll be at the top of the hill. And ain’t nobody going to get through us, baby! No one!”

Loud whooping and cheering met her blunt fierceness, with the audience rising for a standing ovation.

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