"What's all the fuss about?" asked Libertarianz Whangarei candidate Helen Hughes after watching a trembling Helen Clark defend her government's tacit approval of a genetically diverse maize crop to TV interviewer John-Boy Campbell.

"So what if some farmers harvested some high grade food? What's wrong with that?" she asked from her kitchen where she was dishing up another tasty batch of sweet-corn fritters with maple syrup.

Between mouthfuls, Hughes says it should be pointed out that not one case has ever been demonstrated anywhere in the world of genetic modification of food causing death or disease. "It certainly has caused distress," she agrees, "but only amongst luddites and yellow journalists eager to beat up a story and to beat up the Prime Minister."

The real excitement says Hughes is not the self-serving grandstanding of John-Boy Campbell, nor is it the lengths to which the news media will go to help the sales of a rather sorry litle book. It is "the internecine warfare amongst the parties on the hard left - the New Alliance, the Old Alliance and Locke's Luddites."

Reminding voters that the leaders of the various splintering leftist parties would have all known about the crop in question at the time, she added: "Anderton and Harre were aware of this cornfield and kept quiet about it. Their few remaining supporters will be questioning just how committed Jim and Laila are to blocking the advancement of science and technology. Meanwhile, civilised New Zealanders are silently applauding Helen Clark for allowing a GE crop to reach maturity."

"Libertarianz believe a farmer should be able to grow whatever crop he wants - including genetically modified cannabis - provided he doesn't harm others in the process," concluded Highes. "If he does, the rule of law should be enforced to ensure that he compensates any victims who can prove demonstrably that they were injured by the farmer's actions."

Paintergate - the teachers' strike - interference in crop farming - it's enough to make you vote Libertarianz! And you can - in Whangarei, Tauranga, Wellington Central, Hamilton West and New Plymouth.

ENDS

Helen Hughes Libertarianz candidate for Whangarei (09) 434 0595, organon@ihug.co.nz

www.libertarianz.org.nz www.libz.org

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