Posted on 11-11-2002
Corngate
Inquiry Broad
The Corngate inquiry terms of reference are broad enough to
reveal the
truth behind the suspicions of GE-contamination of sweetcorn
planted in
2000, Greens Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said today.
The Local Government and Environment select committee today
released the
terms of reference for its inquiry into the alleged accidental
release of
genetically-engineered sweetcorn plants in 2000. The inquiry
was confirmed
by the committee on October 17, and will get underway in February
next year.
Ms Fitzsimons said she was pleased the committee had largely
adopted the
terms of reference she proposed, with useful amendments from
both Labour
and National. I look forward to the inquiry, and I especially
look forward
to being able to provide a clear and factual explanation to
the public
about what happened, she said. Ms Fitzsimons has always been
concerned that
key questions raised by Corngate remained unanswered, and had
been brushed
under the carpet by the timing of the election.
Key issues which would be canvassed in the inquiry included
the adequacy of
GE testing, how government departments coped with the events,
and whether
the public and other parties were adequately informed about
the issue at
the appropriate time.
I hope that once we have clarified the facts, we can make useful
recommendations about issues of seed testing, interpretation
of science,
public sector decision-making, and enforcement of New Zealand
s law on GE,
Ms Fitzsimons said. She hoped the inquiry might be completed
by the middle
of next year, but that depended on other work in front of the
committee.
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