Bioethics talks 'waste of time'

By RENEE KIRIONA

Meetings being held by the Bioethics Council to discuss humans genes in other organisms have been described as a waste of time.

The Auckland meeting was the second of 30 the council has organised throughout the country to get an idea of people's views on cultural, ethical and spiritual issues arising from the development of biotechnology.

The council's chairman, Sir Paul Reeves, not present at the meeting, said decisions about biotechnology were too important to be left solely to the Government, business or science.

However, environmentalist Max Tobin told those gathered the reality was that those groups did have the power to make such decisions.

He also said the views of New Zealanders had already been expressed in thousands of submissions, consultation meetings, public protests and marches.

"Most New Zealanders are against the transfer of human genes, but the Government has chosen not to listen. How many times do I have to repeat myself?

"My view is that the Government doesn't pay any attention to the cultural, spiritual and ethical. All they are concerned about is profit," Mr Tobin said.

Only seven of the 50 allocated seats at the Portage Peninsula Hotel in Avondale were filled. Twenty turned out for the Whangarei meeting on Wednesday.

Environmentalist Marcus Graf and Mere Takoko of Te Waka Kai Ora / the National Maori Organics Association also questioned the validity of the meetings.

"The council needs to revisit those submissions then decide whether these meetings are worth it or not," Mr Graf said.

"It seems like we are going over the same issues. Until the structure of ERMA [the Environmental Risk Management Authority] has been addressed then processes like this will continue to fail communities," Miss Takoko said.

Over the next four weeks similar meetings will be held in Whakatane, South Auckland, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Wellington, Nelson, Gisborne, Christchurch, Hastings and Dunedin.

Mr Reeves was encouraging South Auckland people to have their say at tomorrow's hui, which will specifically canvass Maori views on biotechnology.

GM Thinktank

Q: What is the Bioethics Council?

A: A cultural, ethical and spiritual adviser to the Environmental Risk Management Authority, which makes decisions on applications to introduce genetically modified organisms. Five of the eight authority members come from the science industry.