'Non-political' film star calls for moderation in gene politics

12.30pm

Actor Sam Neill today took a starring role in general election politicking by calling for the incoming government to put off for another five years the release of genetically engineered (GE) crops and animals.

Neill, whose previous foray into politics was a spat with then Queenstown mayor Warren Cooper over indiscriminate subdivision, today became a heavy hitter in the GE debate.

His stance was not a total surprise -- he last year told a reporter that if New Zealand declared itself free of GE farming it could more easily pitch its agricultural products in foreign markets.

But today Neill joined four other high-profile New Zealanders -- former Federated Farmers national president Sir Peter Elworthy, squash champion Dame Susan Devoy, biochemist Garth Cooper and food writer Annabel Langbein -- to call for a more cautious approach on genetic engineering.

"I would urge the present Government and the incoming Government to seriously reconsider this lifting of the moratorium, and to give the people of New Zealand time to consider and to debate this most critical of issues," Neill said.

The actor, who was filming today, videoed a short personal statement for a Wellington press briefing on the Sustainability Council of New Zealand, in which he described himself as a genetic engineering sceptic.

"I'm yet to be convinced by this technology -- my feeling is that this is the most serious issue that we face in New Zealand today," said the actor, star of the Jurassic Park films based on dinosaurs revived from ancient DNA running amok.

But Neill backed up statements from Sir Peter that it was not political.

"I regret very much that it seems to have been politicised in the past few weeks. I'd like to seek the politics taken out of this debate because it is too important, too critical for all New Zealanders.

"It seems to me to be an even more serious issue than even the nuclear-free debate that we had 20 years ago."

It was theoretically possible to remove nuclear material from a country, but once genetically engineered crops and livestock were released, it was likely that some of the altered DNA could never be removed from the environment.

"That is why I urge caution -- we simply don't know enough about the long-term effects of GE on our environment, on our health and indeed on our own genetics," he said.

"It seems the only safe precaution we can take at this time is to extend the moratorium at least five years," he said.

Neill said he took no particularly comfort from assurances that GE was safe because 40 years ago similar voices were saying that chemicals such as DDT and 2,4,5T were safe -- and now the nation had to live with the consequences of those chemicals.

New Zealanders had also been told that caution over GE would squander opportunities to be at the forefront of biotechnology, but to unquestioningly adopt the technology could in fact destroy the potential to be a global export of GE-free food.

"Everywhere I go in the world, I come across tremendous consumer resistance to GE," he said.

"People all over the world are not at all sure they want to eat tomatoes that are part flounder or potatoes that are part toad."

The opportunity to brand New Zealand as GE-free seemed to be a tremendous commercial opportunity, and as an exporter of his own vineyard's Two Paddocks wine, he would gladly exploit such a branding.

Neill said it could be that GE foods would turn out to be good science, good farming, and good food, but it was too early to say for certain and the possible consequences of getting it wrong were serious.

The Sustainability Council -- so far comprising just the well-known faces who launched it in Wellington today -- said its concerns with the technology included trade risks, effects of engineered organisms on the environment and human health, and the practicality of regulating something which could not be kept behind a fence.

Sir Peter said the Sustainability Council had always intended a July launch but had not planned on the Government calling an early election and pitching the debate into political campaigning.

The issue has taken on a high profile since the Green Party said it would not side with any incoming government which automatically lifts later next year the current moratorium on commercial release of GE crops and animals.

The party has not opposed continuing GE work in laboratories, such as development of medicines, but has rejected the widespread release of altered DNA during the term of the next Parliament.

Environment Minister Marian Hobbs said the call to extend the moratorium failed to recognise the safeguards in place and the Government's cautious approach.

"The expiry of the moratorium in October 2003 will not open the floodgates to commercial production of GE crops," she said.

"It will simply allow applications for the release of genetically modified material to be considered case by case by the Environmental Risk Management Authority."

Alliance leader Laila Harre congratulated the council and said a five-year moratorium was a much better starting point.

She said the Government should relax its position on the issue.

ACT's environment spokesman Gerry Eckhoff said the credibility of the council had to be challenged.

"Sir Peter does not represent New Zealand farmers. Now retired, he is out of the mainstream of farmer opinion," Mr Eckhoff said.

"Extending the moratorium has no support in rural New Zealand, has no scientific basis and will certainly delay the day when answers to important questions on genetic modification can be found."

- NZPA

Full news coverage:
nzherald.co.nz/election

Election links:
The parties, policies, voting information, and more

Ask a politician:
Send us a question, on any topic, addressed to any party leader. We'll choose the best questions to put to the leaders, and publish the answers in our election coverage.