Posted on 4-8-2003
Greens
Bill Aims At Freeze On GE Moratorium
Green MP Ian Ewen-Street has entered a private members bill
into todays
ballot that would extend the moratorium on the commercial release
of
genetically modified material until 31 October, 2008.
The Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (Moratorium Extension)
Amendment
Bill would extend by five years the date upon which the Environmental
Risk
Management Authority (ERMA) may consider applications for the
release of
genetically engineered organisms into the environment. At this
stage, we
simply do not know what effect the release of GE organisms will
have on our
environment,Said Mr Ewen-Street. The research commissioned by
the
government in response to the recommendations of the Royal Commission
on
Genetic Modification still has a long way to go. For example,
the research
into soil ecosystems and horizontal gene transfer is still several
years
from completion. It would be crazy to allow the moratorium to
expire
without knowing the results of this research and it would also
be
inconsistent with Government policy to allow GE to proceed with
caution. It
would be environmentally and economically irresponsible to lift
the
moratorium at this stage, with research either incomplete or
suggesting
dire effects on our burgeoning organic industry and agricultural
exports.
Nor have the issues of contamination and liability been addressed.
The Royal Commission recommended that the Government should
proceed with
caution,said Mr Ewen-Street. That is exactly what this Bill
sets out to
achieve.
Mr Ewen-Streets is the second Green private members bill in
the ballot to
deal with GE issues.
Sue Kedgley's Consumers Right to Know (Food Information) Bill
would extend
GE labelling to cover all foods and ingredients made with gene
technology.
It also requires the labelling of GE animal feed and would enshrine
in law
the concept of consumer's right to know what is in the food
they're eating.
|