Sunday, 21 July 2002

Greenpeace Faking Ignorance Over GM Sweetcorn

Greenpeace New Zealand was informed of the results of GM testing of imported sweetcorn seed in 2001, says science minister Pete Hodgson.

“Greenpeace has been protesting a ‘cover-up’ over GM sweetcorn when it was told the test results in May 2001,” said Mr Hodgson, who released a copy of an email confirming this.

The email, from a government official to a Greenpeace staffer, is dated 10 May 2001 and explains the test results in detail.

“Greenpeace will have a very hard time explaining how it can protest about a cover-up when it was freely given this information,” Mr Hodgson said.

“If Greenpeace really thought there was a problem with this sweetcorn seed it could have raised it more than a year ago. The fact that it has waited until now shows a breathtaking level of hypocrisy.

“Greenpeace was apparently satisfied in May last year that there was no cause for protest. Now that they can jump on the conspiracy bandwagon they have decided to forget what they know and go for the cheap shots. New Zealanders should see this for the dishonest grandstanding that it is.

“One wonders whether Greenpeace will now claim that they don’t remember receiving this information, in the way that Jeanette Fitzsimons now struggles to recall being personally briefed.”

Ends

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