6 December 2001

The Green Party's vote to bypass the Environment Select Committee, chaired by co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons, and instead send the Government's GM Bill to the Finance and Expenditure Committee will anger anti-GM campaigners, says National's Environment spokesman, Nick Smith.

"This is a sell-out. The Greens have argued for years that GM is an environmental issue, not an economic issue.

"This vote suggests that the anti-GM campaign for the Greens is a cynical public relations campaign and not one in which they intend to have serious influence.

"The Government explanation that the Bill is going to the Finance and Expenditure Committee because it has all parties represented is as thin as tissue paper. Parliament is free to set up a special committee or add an Alliance member to the existing Environment Committee if it wishes.

"The Government's agenda in avoiding the Environment Committee was to minimise the Green's influence, and it is extraordinary that the Greens have voted for this approach," says Dr Smith.

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