Monday 14 Jan 2002

ACT Environment Spokesman Gerry Eckhoff said today that the Green Party must now immediately publicly renounce law breaking activity - including destroying GM crops.

"Interviewed on the radio this morning, Green MP, Nandor Tanczos, repeatedly refused to condemn the act of sabotage at Lincoln which caused over $100,000 of damage and put back vital research years.

"The public will look at Mr Tanczos' previous association with the extremist Wild Greens and interpret his comments as meaning that the Green Party clearly supports this kind of activity.

"Back in November I wrote to 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 asked for a guarantee that no Green Party facilities in Parliament would be used to further the cause of eco-terrorism. I never heard back from Ms Fitzsimons.

"I call on Ms Fitzsimons to now make clear public statements on both these matters.

"The Green Party demanded the Royal Commission on GM and it was given a privileged position in the hearings. The commission was the most exhaustive review of GM that the world has seen - and yet because the Greens disagree with the findings they appear to support those taking the law into their own hands.

"The Green Party has a choice. Either it supports the law - a process it is involved in as an elected Parliamentary party - or it supports lawlessness. It can't have a dollar each way. Unless it condemns lawlessness its credibility is shot," Gerry Eckhoff said.

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