Author: admin

Posted Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:23pm AEST

ABC News Online

Federal Labor’s primary industry spokesman Kerry O’Brien is accusing Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran of promoting one side of the genetically modified (GM) canola argument.

Mr McGauran released a report on GM crops this month and is pushing state governments to drop their bans on GM canola.

Senator O’Brien says Mr McGauran ignored sections of the report referring to consumer resistance, divisions in the farming community and weed problems.

He says Mr McGauran is setting up another argument with the states.

"There is also the question of whether the markets are going to be there for our product or whether there’s any advantage to the extra expenditure that’s spent in getting a higher value for the crop that’s grown," he said.

"All these issues have to be dealt with, this is something to be dealt with dispassionately, not in the heat of an election campaign for political advantage."

Mr McGauran says lifting the bans will put choice on GM technologies in the hands of farmers.

He says he acknowledges the report was not all positive, but he says most farmers are in favour of GM technology.

"The problem for Senator O’Brien is he’s walking both sides of the street, he doesn’t support nor oppose GM, I think the political cowardice after all these years and all of the data and evidence available not to make a decision, you’re either for the commercial release or you’re not, so long as all the safeguards are in place," he said.

Posted Tue May 29, 2007 12:39pm AEST

ABC Online   

The Organic Agriculture Association is urging dairy farmers to oppose the lifting of a moratorium on genetically modified canola.

The State Government is conducting a review on the moratorium due to be lifted early next year.

The Organic Association’s Robin Grant says once the ban is lifted no-one will be able to stop the G-M crops spreading to non-GM properties.

And she says the invading crops will be resistant to conventional weed killers.

She says evidence of canola spread can be seen along railway lines in Victoria’s cropping belt.

"The amount of canola that is along those railway lines if you go there in October when it’s flowering you’ll just see that they can’t control these crops," she said.

"The agricultural weeds that are on our roadsides now, they just can’t control it, they won’t be able to control it."

Tuesday, 6 February 2007: You might blame the dog for eating your homework, or a traffic jam for being late to work. But if you ever find yourself facing a multimillion-dollar class action lawsuit for contaminating the world’s number one food crop with an unapproved genetically engineered variety, just do what biotech company Bayer does. Blame God!

Yes folks, it seems that according to Bayer, God hasn’t been dealing with the big issues lately. Instead of answering millions of prayers, stopping wars or ending famines, God has left all the important things to gather dust in the heavenly inbox whilst ensuring Bayer’s unapproved variety of genetically engineered (GE) rice goes forth and multiplies around the world instead.

According to documents submitted to the court by Bayer, last year’s massive contamination of US rice with an unapproved, experimental variety of rice called LL601 was due to ‘acts of God’ or the rice farmers themselves.

Pushing the blame onto the rice farmers is no surprise, as the farmers are the ones suing Bayer for millions of dollars of lost income. The price of US rice plummeted last year, immediately following the discovery of the GE contamination in rice exported to Europe and Japan, where consumer resistance to Bayer’s less-than-divine intervention in their food is strong.

Full article

Tell the your State Minister that GM crops is an election issue – for you

The Australian state governments of New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria are under pressure from the Howard Federal Government and the biotech industry to lift bans on growing genetically modified (GM) food crops, like GM canola.

All have announced panel inquiries into whether the GM bans are necessary. Yes, they are!

Email or write to your State MP, letting them know that you are against GM products and you consider this to be a federal election issue. With enough response from the public, they’ll be sure to pass the news onto Kevin Rudd and cohorts. 

The current legislation for states and territories are:

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has introduced a moratorium on the commercial release of GM food crops in the ACT until 2006+. The moratorium will be reviewed annually. The Health Minister has indicated that the ACT will continue to support licensed, scientific research into genetically modified organisms (GMOs) being conducted in territory.

Katy Gallagher, MLA
Deputy Chief Minister; Minister for Health
ACT Legislative Assembly
GPO Box 1020
Canberra ACT 2601
gallagher@act.gov.au

The New South Wales (NSW) Government has banned GM food crops until 2008. It has not banned GM cotton, which has been grown commercially in Australia since 1996, and will allow any GM crop field trials to continue at the discretion of the Agriculture Minister.

The Hon. Ian Macdonald,
Level 33 Governor Macquarie Tower,
1 Farrer Place,
Sydney NSW 2000
macdonald.office@macdonald.minister.nsw.gov.au

The South Australian (SA) Government has implemented legislation to establish a moratorium on GM crops until 2008. The Bill does provide for exemptions to allow field trials to continue under specific conditions.

Hon Rory McEwen MP
Minister for Agriculture, Food & Fisheries
GPO Box 668
Adelaide SA 5001
minister.mcewen@state.sa.gov.au

The Tasmanian Government has extended its moratorium on the commercial release of GM crops and animals in Tasmania until 2009. Provisions for research trials using GM non-food crops continue to be strictly enforced, for example GM poppy field trials have continued in the state despite the moratorium

David Llewellyn
Minister for Primary Industries and Water
GPO Box 123B
Hobart TASMANIA 7001
No email address!

The Victorian Government has implemented a moratorium until 2008, with the Control of Genetically Modified Crops 2004 Bill passed in May 2004. The Bill specifically prohibits the commercial planting of GM canola.

Joe Helper
Minister for Agriculture
PO Box 175
Maryborough VIC 3465
 joe.helper@parliament.vic.gov.au

In December 2003, the Genetically Modified Crops Free Areas Bill 2003 was passed by Western  Australian Parliament, and in March 2004, the Premier declared the entire state of Western Australian a GM free area.
A review of the operation and effectiveness of the Act is to be conducted in 2008.

The Hon Kim M Chance MLC
Minister for Agriculture and Food
11th Floor, Dumas House
2 Havelock Street
West Perth WA 6005
kim-chance@dpc.wa.gov.au

Both the Queensland and Northern Territory Governments support the national gene technology regulatory scheme and have not implemented any further legislation.

The Victorian moratorium on GM canola was introduced in March 2004 to protect farmers from the inevitable financial losses that would result from the introduction of GE canola. It is currently due to expire on February 29, 2008, unless a new moratorium order is introduced.

However, there is a strong push in the Victoria’s State Labour government, notably from  Agriculture Minister, Joe Helper, who wants to lift the moratorium on genetically engineered (GE) canola. The announcement was plastered across the front page of the Sunday Age in May 2007, leaving many people choking on their cornflakes. Response was a huge public backlash which left the Sunday Age letters editor drowning in letters from angry consumers.

Joe Helper issued a speedy retraction the next day, in which he promised to consult with business. He later amended this statement and promised to consult the community as well! This was followed by the announcement on 22nd May of an ‘independent’ panel to review Victoria’s moratorium on the commercial planting of GE canola.

Full article http://www.truefood.org.au/news2.html?mode=aust&newsid=354

Other GM news stories on ebono.org:

Row brewing over GM canola moratorium

War of words erupts over GM canola

WA university set to spread GE crops

The current lack of information is frustrating consumers' desires to do the right thing and sheltering producers from the need to clean up their act. Most shoppers are not able to discriminate between products that required large amounts of water or massive greenhouse gas emissions and those that are better for the environment.
 
There is little or no pressure on producers to minimise their emissions or water usage.
Labelling laws would start the process of pushing producers to clean up their act.
 Combined with a carbon pricing regime to send a better price signal and regulations to drive up efficiency of water and energy use, NSW consumers could reduce the embodied water and greenhouse gases in their shopping trolleys and daily lives.
 
"The Iemma government needs to get tough with industry and retailers. It needs to show leadership with other states and the Commonwealth and set the pace on helping households reduce their impact on the planet," Dr Kaye said.