Tue Oct 5 1999

The backdown by Monsanto on the terminator gene is a great victory against the indiscriminate use of Genetically Engineered Organisims (GEOs) but it is only the start.

'Monsanto has been one of the leading supporters of the use of GEOs, and has backed down in the face of one of the biggest anti competition lawsuits ever mounted,' Alliance health and Environmental Spokesperson Phillida Bunkle said.

'This back down to public pressure against the use of GEOs shows the strength of feeling across the world against using GEOs.

'It is too late for this government to change its spots on this issue. They have ignored my members bill that would create a Commission of Inquiry into genetic engineering and propose a moratorium on sale and release of GE foods during the Inquiry.

'GE foods will be a significant factor at this election. The government has dragged their feet in labelling GE foods, we still don't know for sure if our food is GE free. 'The Alliance is the only significant political party prepared to make a stand in support of food safety. All credible scientific opinion says there are no guarantees that GE foods are safe. We need to act now on GEOs before they are spread throughout our country,' Phillida Bunkle said.

ENDS

Visit http://www.alliance.org.nz for more information about the Alliance

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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>>