Full text: Prime Minister on GE

Today the government is announcing its key decisions in response to the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification.

The government has carefully considered the report of the Royal Commission.

That Commission spent a year listening to all the evidence presented by New Zealand and international experts.

It received submissions from thousands of New Zealanders.

It then carefully analysed all the information and recommended that the most appropriate course of action for New Zealand was to take a precautionary approach to the use of the technology.

The Commission argued that New Zealand should preserve opportunities in all areas. It did not support extreme positions at either end of the spectrum.

When the government released the report I noted that it was the most wide-ranging inquiry into genetic modification ever undertaken in any country.

The government has now had the opportunity to examine the Royal Commission's recommendations in detail. Today we are announcing our conclusions on the broad issues.

In line with the Royal Commission's recommendations the government believes New Zealand should take an approach which preserves its options.

We cannot afford to turn our back on science which has the potential to inform our medical, biotechnology, and industry strategies, but nor can we ignore the concerns raised about aspects of genetic modification.

The government believes that science and research must continue with strict controls in place to protect the health of New Zealanders and our environment.

New Zealand's clean, green image is important to us all and must be protected. But if we are to provide New Zealanders with 21st century standards of living, then we cannot afford to be left behind as science makes new discoveries.

Therefore, the government will introduce shortly legislation to amend the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act to prohibit the release of genetically modified organisms into the New Zealand environment for the next two years. Exceptions will apply to human and animal medicines.

The government's inquiries have not revealed that there are any proposals ready for release. Nonetheless, we propose to put the matter beyond doubt by applying the two year constraint period.

The purpose of the constraint period is to allow time for the issues which the Royal Commission found needed further work to be addressed. Those areas include:

* Further research addressing areas of socio-economic, ethical, environmental and agricultural research

* Work on a biotechnology strategy for New Zealand and on the issues of conditional release and co-existence

Liability issues

The formulation and passage of amendments to the HSNO Act and related Acts and regulations

Generic work on the economic impact of any GM crop release on the strategy of "preserving opportunities".

The Royal Commission proposed a different way of dealing with near term release of genetically modified organisms. It recommended that the first applications for release should be called in by the minister.

The government does not believe that course was acceptable. It left the state like a possum in the headlights, not knowing when to expect an application and not in the near term having completed the further work the Commission itself recommended before approving any release.

Obviously it will take some time for the recommended further work to be done and for amendments to be made to the HSNO Act to ensure that appropriate controls are put in place in the event that applications for release are made in future.

We have also decided to adopt a more precautionary approach than the Royal Commission in relation to research.

While the moratorium on applications for contained research will be lifted, the government will at the same time introduce immediate amendments to the HSNO Act to increase the level of certainty about the controls to be applied to any research and to the inspection and monitoring regimes.

In future there will be no choice about the degree to which any material associated with a research project will need to be destroyed or transported away from the research area and kept in secure containment.

All material associated with a trial will be required to be able to be removed from the site, either by destruction or otherwise.

Any reproductive structure above the ground will have to be securely contained or immediately removed as soon as it reaches the stage where it is capable of producing heritable material, and any heritable material below the ground will be required to be destroyed on site or removed in secure containment for destruction.

The Act will also be strengthened to require the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) to take account of ecological effects and relative efficacy. ERMA will be required to provide for appropriate inspection and monitoring regimes for all research programmes.

The government has accepted the recommendations of the Royal Commission to establish a Bioethics Council to act as an advisory body on ethical, social, and cultural matters in the use of biotechnology in New Zealand.

This will help ensure that there continues to be an open and transparent consultation process which will enable the public to continue to engage on the important issues raised by biotechnology.

The government has been particularly mindful of the issues raised by many submissions to the Royal Commission. We believe that the Bioethics Council will have a vital role to play in ensuring that cultural, ethical, and spiritual concerns are a key part of our future consideration of genetic modification.

Discussion on the future of genetic modification has revealed that within New Zealand there are very different world views. Those views have been expressed within Labour's caucus. We have not been unanimous. What we have agreed on is a process, based on partnership, for moving ahead. It is essential that the amended HSNO Act provides for processes which are more inclusive of Maori and are reflective of Treaty of Waitangi principles. This is what the Royal Commission recommended.

These announcements will not satisfy everyone. It is simply not possible to do so when the extremes of the debate are so polarised. I am satisfied, however, that there is a sensible middle ground which preserves all our opportunities. The Alliance has played a critical role in ensuring that the approach taken is indeed precautionary.

Some will express their disappointment that we have not decided to stop research in its tracks, but I have to say that I do not believe that taking that position would have been in New Zealand's best interests.

New Zealand is not GE free now. Field research has been going on for more than a decade. The effect of these announcements will be to maintain our existing status and ensure that the safety conditions governing research are tightened.

Every proposal for research will be examined on a case by case basis. Every research application will be publicly notified so that the public will be able to participate in the assessment process.

New Zealand has to move forward. If we are to maintain our position as a first world knowledge based nation, we cannot stop science in its tracks. But science must accept appropriate controls in the public interest.

Preserving opportunities also means giving people choices. A new strict food labelling regime has been agreed on with Australia. All food will have to be labelled clearly to acknowledge genetically modified content. That ensures that people have the choice to consume such food.

These decisions announced today do preserve New Zealand's opportunities to benefit both from scientific breakthroughs and from the clean green image we value.

These decisions announced today will not be the end of the debate. Legislation for the constraint period will be introduced, and it will go to a select committee.

The legislation will contain a clause making it effective from today. That means there is no prospect of applications for release avoiding the constraint period by being submitted before the legislation is passed.

These decisions provide a sensible way forward. We ensure that New Zealand is not left behind in the 21st century. We ensure that all research applications are assessed on a case by case basis, and we apply strict controls to approved research. Strong labelling will ensure that people can choose what they eat. In every sense, the government is preserving New Zealand's opportunities as the Royal Commission recommended.

nzherald.co.nz/ge

Report of the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification

GE lessons from Britain

GE links

GE glossary