Posted on 30-3-2002
NZ
Government On Notice
Media comment from Jon Carapiet
The Labour/Alliance government is being warned by community-groups
supporting a" GE-Free" food and environment that they
will face massivevoter-rebellion at this years election if they
pass a law allowingcommercial GE releases to be approved from
next yearThe HSNO Amendment Bill is to be reported back to Parliament
by the Financeand Expenditure select committee today. Amongst
many contentious clausesthat put the environment at risk from
Field trials and medical-use releaseof live GE vaccines, the
government is also including a clause that allowsfull commercial
releases of genetically engineered organisms to be approvedfrom
October 2003. "We are putting the government on notice
that theelectorate will rebel if they allow this plan to proceed",
said JonCarapiet from GE-Free NZ (in Food and Environment).
"The Royal Commissionsaid we should not ban the technology
but must proceed cautiously,.. tomost New Zealanders that means
ethical research and applications formedical use in containment.
What itdoes not mean is full releases into ourenvironment next
year."There is wide scale support to keep GE uses in containment
for theforeseeable future and for New Zealand to develop a unique
strategy forscience and technology that suits our clean green
marketing image,community values and consumer choice. "The
government must not give in tobiotech- corporate pressure to
put in place a date for approvals of GEreleases to start next
year. If they do, they must also expect voters willnotice that
release date is just one year away from the likely date of theelection.
The campaign to contain genetic engineering technology and applyit
ethically is not going away. Labour will force the voting-public
torebel at the polls if they pass this legislation."
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