Clark 'has nothing to offer' GM probe

By KEVIN TAYLOR political reporter

Prime Minister Helen Clark says she has nothing to offer the parliamentary committee probing the Corngate affair - and a call to appear is far from certain.

National MP Nick Smith intends moving at the local government and environment committee tomorrow that she be called to answer questions over the planting of corn near Gisborne in 2000 that was suspected of being contaminated with genetically modified material.

Dr Smith said yesterday that if the inquiry was to have any integrity she should appear.

However, Helen Clark said yesterday that she did not think she could offer the inquiry "anything at all".

Her comment followed evidence given by her brother-in-law, Crop and Food Research scientist Allan Hardacre, to the committee on Monday about two phone conversations he had with her in November 2000 on the issue.

An expert in maize breeding and cereal science, he advised her to rip the corn out to reduce "possible political fallout", but later rescinded that suggestion after further research.

Author Nicky Hager alleged a Government cover-up of the discovery of the crop in his book Seeds of Distrust, released just before last year's general election.

It caused a political storm and had the Government denying a cover-up. The crops were not removed because testing had showed insufficient evidence of contamination.

Helen Clark said Mr Hardacre would "almost certainly" have been involved in the issue in 2000 whether he was her brother-in-law or not, because he had been a long-time expert on maize.

Meanwhile TV3 last night broadcast a "clarification" of its report on Monday which claimed Mr Hardacre had told the committee he had advised the Government in November 2000 that the corn had, in fact, been contaminated with GM.

Helen Clark said yesterday that TV3 had made a "serious mistake" in the item.

"I rang him to say there seems to be an issue arising, and to try and get some background understanding of the issues. He'd never heard of it ... there's no way he could have told me that that corn was contaminated."

TV3 said last night it accepted the word of both Helen Clark and Mr Hardacre that he not told her the corn was contaminated. A spokesman for Helen Clark said she would not take her complaint further.

Last month the Broadcasting Standards Authority found TV3 had breached balance, accuracy and fairness standards in its initial coverage of the issue in July 2002.

TV3 is appealing against the authority's ruling.

Green Party co-leader and committee chairwoman Jeanette Fitzsimons said she hoped to have the inquiry finished in the "next couple of months" but writing the report would take a while.