PM tosses early election line in the cauldron

By AUDREY YOUNG POLITICAL REPORTER

The possibility of an early election was raised by Prime Minister Helen Clark during a heated debate in the Labour caucus over genetic modification.

The Herald understands that the normally controlled party leader raised the prospect on Tuesday as frustration grew over Maori MPs' position on genetic modification.

But MPs who confirmed her remark said it was a throw-away line rather than a serious threat. The Prime Minister's office said last night that she had no comment on the claim.

Sources said Labour's Maori MPs had been expressing opposition to genetic modification in a confusing way during the caucus meeting. It was unclear what they wanted and tension was building.

Helen Clark made a remark along the lines of suggesting that they could all be in for an early election at the rate they were going.

The Maori MPs eventually walked out of the caucus to clarify their position, prompting Otaki MP Judy Keall to say an early election could be on the way.

Some of the caucus were worried the Maori MPs would not return.

When they did, the caucus agreed to the recommendation of the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification to strengthen the Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation.

The commission wanted the laws governing consent processes "to give effect" to the treaty, rather than just "take account" of it.

There is likely to be debate over the treaty clauses and what they mean when they are changed.

Finance Minister Michael Cullen told Parliament yesterday that the wording was not finalised.

Labour's Hauraki MP, John Tamihere, said it would have to be worded to mean that effect would be given to the treaty.

He expected it to follow the health restructuring legislation last year, which spelled out what the clauses did and did not mean.

Treaty Negotiations Minister Margaret Wilson told the House that discussions were continuing on eight treaty issues raised in the commission's report, including strengthening the treaty clause.

That prompted National MP Georgina te Heuheu to say Helen Clark was pretending that the Maori concerns had been taken care of.

Act MP Stephen Franks asked: "Exactly which words of the treaty require treaty clauses in genetic modification legislation and, without them, what allows the Government to impose on all of us a superstitious world view of some of us?"

Ms Wilson: "We are not imposing it. We are undertaking a process of debate and discussion."

And in response to a Greens question on whether tino rangatiratanga would be part of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act, she said: "That is an issue that is always considered when we talk about the treaty."

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