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  • WA university set to spread GE crops

    When the University of Western Australian posted this Media Statement on its website, it exposed the Federal Governments long term agenda to introducte genetically modified crops into Australia.

    It seems that government funding has been channeled into the development of GE or GM crops for 15 years, although these crops were banned.

    The Howard Government has never been open to acting on independent studies on the consequences of introducing genetically modified crops into Australia’s farming sector.

    This media statement should ring alarm bells for all Australians.

     

    Media Statement

    Thursday, June 14, 2007

    GM MORATORIUM LIMITS LUPINS

    When the current moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops is lifted, The University of Western Australia (UWA) has GM lupin lines with superior seed quality and yield readily available for wider testing and evaluation in the WA grainbelt.

    According to UWA Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis Director, Professor Craig Atkins, sustaining cereal production through rotating legumes drove the UWA GM lupin breeding program, which commenced in 1992.

    “We developed a very successful genetic engineering program for narrow-leafed lupin, including herbicide (Basta®) and bean yellow mosaic virus (BYMV) resistant varieties,” he said. 

    Full statement  

     

     

  • Howard Gov puts pressure on lifting GE bans

    Moratorium on GM crops hurts WA, say Libs

    by Ben Spencer, 15th August 2007, 6:00 WST

    The State Government was hopelessly out of its depth in refusing to lift its ban on genetically modified crops, the Opposition said yesterday, as Agriculture Minister Kim Chance accused GM proponents of ignoring consumer sentiment in pushing their cause.
      
    Just days after a Federal Government report found GM technology posed no danger to human health and could help farmers battle weeds and crop diseases, Upper House Liberal MP Barry House moved to increase pressure on the State Government to lift its ban, telling Parliament there was compelling evidence that GM crops were safe.

    Full article on WA News

  • Victoria to lift GM ban?

    by Janet Grogan 14 July 2007
    Green Left Online

    Three years after extending its moratorium on the commercial growing of genetically modified (GM) crops, the Victorian ALP government appears poised to remove the ban when it expires in February 2008.

    State agriculture minister Joe Helper believes that Victoria is now “open-minded” about GM crops and a “careful and considered approach” will be used to determine the impact of GM crops on the market before a decision is made.

    Farmers’ groups are split. The National Farmers Federation (NFF) has been lured by promises of increased yields for less expense, but the Network of Concerned Farmers sees an erosion of choice for non-GM farmers, with up to 10% additional costs to cover segregation bills alone. The United Dairy Farmers of Victoria voted on June 19 to reverse their support for Victoria’s ban on commercial GM canola. In response, consumer groups say that they will vote with their feet and choose non-GM soy or organic alternatives if the ban is lifted.

    …

    If Victoria does remove its ban, the pressure will be on other states to follow. In WA, there is a push to make GM cotton exempt from the moratorium. Opponents see it as a Trojan Horse that will serve to pave the way for GM canola and other crops.

    In WA, the Say No to GMO campaign has brought together the Conservation Council of WA, the Organic Growers Association and the Network of Concerned Consumers. A petition asking that the GM moratorium be extended 10 years beyond 2008 has gathered almost 4000 signatures and was recently tabled in parliament.

    This type of consumer-led resistance is evident across the country. As Phelps explained, “The citizen campaign to keep Victoria GM-free is even stronger since the turnaround as their foolish decision is based on empty promises about the profit potential of GM canola”.

    With outstanding issues to consider such as segregation, contamination, liability, labeling, consumer rejection, health, environment and economics, one has to wonder why we are even having this debate. 

    Full article  

  • Help extend the Moratorium on GM crops

    What’s `Genetically Engineered’ all about?  Here are the basics

    GENETICALLY ENGINEERED CROPS = GM, GMO or TRANSGENIC

    Patented DNA is in the pollen.  When contaminated, Canadian & US farmers are liable to Monsanto.

    Genetically engineered (GM) crops are not about feeding a starving world; they are about controlling our food supply with patents and chemicals.  We have never before been crossing one species with another like plants and animals and making the offspring fertile.  The real contamination in Australia with patented DNA has just begun.

    Canada is almost completely contaminated with GM pollen.  Weeds are now resistant to Roundup and farmers must use stronger chemicals; sold by Monsanto.  See: National Farmers Union of Canada ‘Top ten’ at www.nfu.ca.

    When chemical companies own our crops because of the contamination by their patented DNA, they will design crops to grow only with their own chemicals.  Chemical companies must sell chemicals, and drug addicted plants are the perfect way to do it.  In the end, would a chemical company design plants that did not need their chemicals?

    What You Can Do               GM foods are dangerous

    Make your support for extending the moratorium known

    Only buy GE free products

    Find out as much as you can about the issues around GE crops :

    http://www.onestopgreenshop.com.au

    http://www.iancohen.org.au/issue.aspx?id=42

    http://www.dnaalert.net/

  • Keep our fields and food GE-free

    About the Moratorium on GE crops

    The moratorium on growing Genetically Engineered crops in NSW is set to expire in March 2008.
    If the moratorium is lifted it will have dire consequences for our clean, green, GE free image and have detrimental effects on export markets. The introduction of GE food crops would also threaten the rapidly growing organics markets, as organics are incompatible with GE.

    The ban on commercial GE crops was extended in 2005, partly because the government said there had not been adequate trials, due to the drought. This remains the case. Proponents of GE have not participated in independent comparative field trials, so there is no reason to lift the ban in 2008.

  • Downer offers Uranium to Russia

    Mr Downer says there is no danger of the uranium exports being used to support Russia’s military programs.

    "In the same way as we have nuclear safeguard agreements with other countries it would be a breach of international law if they were to try to do that," he said.

    "I don’t [think] Russia would want to become a rogue state and break international law, it would lead to a collapse with their relations with Australia and probably with an awful lot more countries."

    The Opposition’s foreign affairs spokesman Robert McClelland says Labor is open to the idea of the uranium deal with Russia.

    "Because they’re a party to the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty)" he said.

    "What I’m saying is, we can drive their commitment to do most things and specifically we can drive their commitment to disarmament.

    "The broader issues here is how the international community, and we as one of the world’s major uranium suppliers, start to reinvigorate the nuclear disarmament debate."