11 November 2004

UF gets it wrong: Green amendment bans human GE

Green MP Sue Kedgley is mystified by United Future's attack on the Green Party over its vote for the just-passed Human Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill.

"If United Future were so opposed to the Bill, they could start by asking themselves why two members of their own caucus voted for it, along with members from all other parties in the House," said Ms Kedgley, the Green Party's Health Spokesperson.

"Far from supporting laws that permit the genetic engineering of humans, the Greens in fact put forward and ensured the passing of an amendment to the HART Bill that specifically prohibited the genetic engineering of humans.

"That's the only reason we supported the Bill - because it prohibited the worst excesses of assisted human reproduction such as cloning, the genetic engineering of humans and sex selection for social reasons.

Ms Kedgley said the legislation, while weak and permissive, was better than no legislation.

"If the legislation hadn't passed scientists WOULD have been able to genetically engineer humans, because previously we had a totally uncontrolled, free market situation without any restrictions. At least this Bill provides some prohibition against unethical research," said Ms Kedgley.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

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>>