Posted on 13-10-2003

Massive Opposition To Lifting GE Moratorium

Auckland, 11 October, 2003: An estimated 25 thousand people thronged Queen
St today calling for the extension of the moratorium on genetically
engineered (GE) crops.

It was an overwhelming turnout and the message today is that the people
aren't going to go away, we want New Zealand to remain GE free and
parliament must listen. The massive turn out is certainly one of New
Zealand's biggest marches and is the biggest of the three GE Free marches
in Auckland (previous marches numbered 15 and 10 thousand). Marchers from
as far a field as Wanaka filled Queen Street from Customs Street to Aotea
Square in a wash of banners, costumes, placards and chants.

The march was organised by Greenpeace, Mothers Against Genetic Engineering
and the Auckland GE Free Coalition and was promoted thanks to the work of
dozens of volunteers. The march started at the bottom of Queen Street and
ended in Myers Park where the crowd were entertained by performers and
speakers including scientist Dr Elvira Dommisse, Allanah Currie and maori
kuia Del Wihongi. Performers at the March included: Don McGlashan, Anika
Moa and Mikey Havoc.

The level of tolerance for GE is indeed close to zero and if Helen Clark's
Government lifts the moratorium the level of tolerance for her will be
similarly low.

Fewer than one-fifth of Canterbury people support the Government's October
29 deadline for lifting the moratorium on genetically modified organisms
(GMOs), a Press survey has found. The opinion poll, another of the Press'
Community Issues surveys, has detected widespread unease over implications
of genetic modification, as well as a strong desire for the public to be
given more information about it.

The community appears divided in its assessment of the value of GMOs. The
results follow the trend of a series of other recent polls on the issue
which have found widespread public unease about the Government's approach
to genetic modification.

The moratorium was imposed two years ago in the wake of the Royal
Commission on Genetic Modification which advised the country to proceed
cautiously. The Government has refused to review the moratorium's lifting,
with Environment Minister Marian Hobbs maintaining the Government's
measures to control the release of GMOs are sound. The release of the
latest poll results coincides with a national day of protest by anti-GM
groups today as the country counts down to the end of the ban.

Campaigners are resigned to the idea that their protests will not force a
Government about-face, but they have vowed to keep fighting.

A late legal challenge has been made to the Waitangi Tribunal to stop the
lifting of the GE moratorium. Lawyers representing two groups of claimants
made a late application to the tribunal on Friday to have their case
against the release of GE heard before the moratorium is lifted.

Maui Solomon, a lawyer acting for the supporting Waitangi Tribunal
claimant, Wai 262, said the lifting of the moratorium would devalue New
Zealand produce in the eyes of the world. The release would have a huge
effect on Maori cultural and spiritual values. The Wai 262 claim aims to
protect genetic material in indigenous flora and fauna from exploitation.
Solomon said the lifting of the moratorium was going ahead in the face of
recommendations from the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification.

In the commission's final report, it recommended "all parties concerned
work to resolve the Wai 262 and Wai 740 claims currently before the
Waitangi Tribunal as soon as possible". Judge Harvey, who heard the
application, is expected to give a decision this week on whether the urgent
hearing can go ahead. Solomon said if the hearing did go ahead, the judge's
report on it would not come out until after the moratorium was lifted,
posing a problem for the government.

The government, if it wanted to respect the finding of the Waitangi
Tribunal, would have to extend the moratorium voluntarily or legislate to
extend it. The relevance of the claim was dismissed by Associate Maori
Affairs Minister John Tamihere and Environment Minister Marian Hobbs.
Tamihere said he was "comfortable" with the existing system. He pointed to
the consultation by the bioethics committee and the Maori advisory group to
the Environmental Risk Management Authority (Erma). "You can not, will not
and should not have a Maori veto."

Hobbs said she was also aware of the application but was comfortable the
system in which Erma reviewed cases on an individual basis would balance
interests. She said the same belief applied to the protesters' concerns.
"It is not about saying yes or no to GM. They (Erma) could say no to all
(applications). I don't know."

The protests, just 18 days before the GE gates are due to open, were held
across the country. Auckland had the largest march, with 1500 in Wellington
and 2000 in Christchurch. The carnival-style Auckland march ended at Myers
Park, where former pop star and Madge leader Alannah Currie called for
continued protest. "GE is a science in its infancy. These GE plants and
animals can spread across the country and we don't know what the results
are. When scientists and politicians tell you they are safe, they are
lying."One of the oldest protesters, George Shierny, 82, said he felt
betrayed by Labour, for whom he had voted all his life. "Well, bugger. It's
a democracy and numbers should count."

Greenpeace spokesman Steve Abel said the protest was a "history-making
event" on a par with anti-apartheid and anti-Vietnam movements of the past.

In Wellington, the crowd marched from Civic Square down Lambton Quay to
hold a rally at parliament grounds. Protester Valerie Morse said it was
planned to establish an anti-GE tent city at parliament this month. A
hunger strike would also take place.

Cold, showery weather did not dampen the anti-GE spirits of Christchurch
marchers. Financial planner Charles Drace told the rally GE would cut New
Zealand's agricultural exports by a third. "The only conclusion is New
Zealand would go into permanent recession." In Dunedin, about 1000 people
joined yesterday's midday march down George St to the Dunedin Museum, after
speeches in the Octagon.

In Timaru, about 200 protesters marched through the centre of town.