PM kept in dark over problems with GM stand

Prime Minister Helen Clark was given no indication while visiting the United States that New Zealand's moratorium on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) was thwarting a free trade agreement between the two countries.

She has since learned of US objections to New Zealand's stance on GMO issues from a website.

Helen Clark yesterday answered questions from Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons in Parliament about her trip to meet US President George W. Bush in a bid to discuss a free trade agreement.

The discussions did not appear to herald any immediate change in trade agreements.

Ms Fitzsimons asked if the moratorium on GMOs, which tightly controls experiments in that field until October next year, or the rules requiring labelling of GM foods, were standing in the way of a free trade deal.

She expressed concern that the Government might lift the moratorium in order to satisfy demands the US might have for any trade deal.

The Prime Minister said that during her discussions, no one had told her of any barrier to a free trade agreement because of New Zealand's stance on GMOs. But she conceded that since then, she had been advised that the US Government objected to the moratorium.

US trade representative Robert Zoellick had presented the viewpoint on a website, which she had read. But she said the Government would not recant and would not stop research into GMOs in the meantime.

Helen Clark said a major barrier to an agreement was that the US Administration did not yet have trade promotion authority from Congress, making it difficult to reach new bilateral agreements.

- NZPA

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Report of the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification

GE lessons from Britain

GE links

GE glossary