Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons is aiming to take New Zealand back into the Dark Ages with her suggestion that Possum ashes be used as a means of controlling the pest, ACT Environment Spokesman Gerry Eckhoff said today.

"The suggestion is roughly on a par with the using of chicken entrails to predict the future. This of course is very much in line with the Greens' animistic beliefs.

"We are in danger of allowing Ms Fitzsimons to lead us into becoming a science-free country. Already the Greens receive substantial Government funding

"The idea of scattering Possum ashes for pest control was first raised 80-years ago. Don't you think that all farmers would be using this method if there was any suggestion at all that it actually worked? Perhaps we should consider burying cow horns stuffed with animal manure and burnt thistles to ensure the demise of unwanted pasture weeds.

"I think the Greens should put some of the substantial amount of taxpayers' money they have received from this Government into conducting experiments to test the voracity of Ms Fitzsimons' arguments. Let Sandra Lee give over an area of a National Park known to be over-run by Possums and attempt to control them using only the method suggested by Ms Fitzsimons. I believe I know what the outcome will be - but at least by having the experiment you would end this nonsense once and for all.

"In the meantime, the Government should allow for fast-tracking of genetic modification experiments which I believe in time will be shown as the only sure way to control the Possum population," Gerry Eckhoff said.

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