Tourism Must Be GE Free To Be 100 Percent Pure - Greens

The Green Party is calling on the tourism industry to back its campaign to keep New Zealand genetically engineered free.

The Tourism Industry Association conference in Rotorua has provided Green MP Rod Donald with a platform to highlight the threat genetic engineering poses to the '100 percent pure New Zealand' tourism branding.

"Today we heard from Tourism New Zealand that the '100 percent pure' global branding has been a success and will continue to be the thrust of future marketing," said Mr Donald from the conference.

"This afternoon I will be distributing a leaflet to participants which asks the tough question: Is a pro-GE New Zealand compatible with a 100 percent pure New Zealand? The answer has to be a resounding NO!

"In the same way New Zealand's burgeoning organics industry would be undermined by GE we are convinced that tourism would also suffer significantly.

" Our concerns are backed up by the Ministry for the Environment report released yesterday which concluded that 'if New Zealand were to damage its clean green image it would have a huge effect on our economy'.

"Nothing could be more damaging at the moment than losing our GE-free status.

"I am urging tourism operators to give the Government a clear and unequivocal message that we must be GE-free to be '100 percent pure' - nothing less will do," he said.

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