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ACT Considers Legal Action over GM Crop Threats

ACT Considers Legal Action over GM Crop Threats

Thursday 1 Nov 2001 Gerry Eckhoff Press Releases -- Environment & Conservation

The ACT Party is taking legal advice on the possibility of laying a complaint with the police over the Green Gloves threat to destroy GM field trials.

"We have seen people purporting to represent this eco-terrorist group through the media actively inciting people to break the law. This is unacceptable.

"The government seems to believe that it is justified to punish a careless employer by imposing hugely increased fines under OSH legislation. To be consistent they must also increase the penalty for eco-terrorism to the similar levels where deliberate acts of violence occur. The ability to pay the fine is not the issue. The Green Party's tacit approval of eco-terror indicates that they could well be using taxpayer facilities to further the cause of these fundamentalists.

"I will be writing to the Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons asking her to make a public commitment that the Green Party does not support the breaking of the law to achieve their aims. Furthermore I have asked for a guarantee that no use of Green Party facilities in Parliament will be used to further the cause of eco-terrorism.

"As a political party that is involved in formulating and passing the laws that govern all New Zealanders the Green Party has no place to be involved even tacitly accepting unlawful activity.

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"Many people often try and justify illegal acts by saying that they are 'morally in the right'. The fact is that the law is the law. ACT will be pushing hard to make sure that anybody trying to stop scientists and business from lawfully conducting their field trials are hit with the toughest penalties possible," Gerry Eckhoff said.

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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