ACT Environment Spokesman Gerry said it was appalling the Government planned to release the report of the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification to the Green Party before any other interested parties.

"This is no way to ensure the balanced debate which is needed to allow the public to gain an informed view of the issue.

"We've already seen with the rallies today that the Greens are laying the groundwork for an onslaught on the report if it proves to not share their narrow view of the world and how it should operate.

"The Government is giving the Greens an opportunity to launch a pre-emptive strike and get their slanted view out into the public domain before anybody else has the opportunity.

"This extraordinary decision by the Government could completely undo all the tremendous work done by the commission. This has been the most thorough investigation of the GM issue that has been conducted in the world.

"The Greens pushed for this inquiry, they insisted on being an interested party ' are they now to be allowed to attempt to totally discredit a process they pronounced themselves happy with - if it doesn't deliver the results they want?

"The Government should reconsider immediately and adopt an even-handed approach to the release of this important report," Mr Eckhoff said.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>