"The Environmental Risk Management Authority's decision to reassess controls on genetically modified salmon is evidence that the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act is working properly", Environment Minister Rt Hon Simon Upton said today. "It is a very tough piece of legislation that Parliament enacted to ensure that a precautionary approach is taken where new and novel organisms are involved".

"I am very disappointed that Jeanette Fitzsimons should dismiss ERMA New Zealand's actions as "hand-wringing". It would be hard to imagine a more rigorous, more cautions piece of legislation. Calling for an outright moratorium is simply a way of saying that we shouldn't apply our minds to the issues".

Mr Upton stressed that the inadequate controls ERMA New Zealand is moving to reassess were imposed prior to the enactment of the legislation which enjoyed the unanimous support of the House.

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>>