Officials noted political risks

By FRANCESCA MOLD

Confidential Government papers on the corn contamination scare show officials considered introducing a two-year ban on importing seeds with the potential to be genetically contaminated.

About 200 pages of official documents were dumped on journalists at 8pm yesterday, after promises that they would be available in the afternoon.

A spokesman for Environment Minister Marian Hobbs said more papers would be released later.

The documents detailed the testing of the potentially contaminated seeds that were the subject of Nicky Hager's book Seeds of Distrust.

The documents, dating back to November 2000, showed confusion among officials on whether initial positive tests showing the presence of GM, were accurate, or if there had been laboratory contamination.

Some papers showed acceptance by officials that there was "prima facie evidence" of contamination but others showed tests in the United States and Australia had found no trace of GM in samples taken from the suspect corn.

Handwritten notes show that officials realised the issue was a "political hot potato".

They discussed the risk of compensation if crops growing in Gisborne, Blenheim and the Hawkes Bay had to be pulled up.

The papers said suppliers and growers might face compensation claims.

They also said that the Government could be exposed to potential compensation costs if crops were pulled without proof that they were contaminated.

One MAF report, dated November 29, discussed the economic impact of introducing a two-year ban.

It said crops reliant on imported seed with the potential for genetic contamination included maize, sweetcorn, soya bean, canola, squash, pumpkin and tomato.

The report found the national economic impact would be in the order of $200 million and would affect Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Poverty Bay, Hawkes Bay and Canterbury the most.

The papers show a tussle between officials about how to deal with the potentially tainted crop and whether a "way out" of the problem was to introduce a new "tolerance" level that would allow corn with GM levels under 0.5 per cent into the country.

Seeds timeline

September 5, 2000 - seed shipped to New Zealand from United States.

October 20 - seed arrives in New Zealand.

October 22-23 - seed distributed to Heinz Wattie, Talley's and Cedenco with 164ha planted in Hawkes Bay, Gisborne, and Blenheim.

November 1-3 - indication of possible GM contamination when Cedenco sample tested at Crop and Food Research.

November 9 - seed suppliers Novartis advise Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of possible contamination.

November 10 - MAF and Environmental Risk Management Authority (Erma) advise Heinz Wattie and Cedenco not to plant any more seed.

November 13 - Erma informs Environment Minister Marian Hobbs of situation.

November 14 - seed tested in United States found free of contamination; verbal advice from Crop and Food Research of negative result to second sample; Genescan in Melbourne advises negative result.

November 17 - Erma not convinced seeds are GM-free.

December 5 - Erma says no evidence of definite GM contamination, and if there was any it was less than 0.04 per cent.

December 19 - Ms Hobbs announces Government looking at new protocols, mentions scare in press statement.

nzherald.co.nz/ge

GE links

GE glossary

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.