Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
License needed for work use Register
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

Like watching a Greek a tragedy ...

Like watching a Greek a tragedy ...

Watching the NOOM Bill proceeding through Parliament has been like watching a Greek tragedy unfold, Green Co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said today.

"The characters have been blindly following their predetermined paths without realising the awful destiny awaiting them.

"The audience can only watch and warn, to no avail. But the real tragedy is that the audience, in this case the New Zealand public, will be dramatically affected by the consequences when GE goes wrong."

The New Organisms and Other Matters Bill, which provides for the conditional release of GE organisms once the moratorium lifts, is due to have its third reading later today.

"In persisting with the legislative mechanisms to enable GE releases into the environment, the Government has missed the key point. The fight against GE will not be over when the moratorium lifts on October 29," Ms Fitzsimons said.

"The Green Party will continue to expose the truth about GE. We will continue to challenge the GE regulator ERMA (the Environmental Risk Management Authority) to do its job.

"We will oppose every release and bring the best scientific evidence to the hearings. We will highlight the stories of GE failures overseas."

The Greens succeeded in making the only substantial change to the NOOM Bill. ERMA now has to consider the economic costs of any application to release GE into the environment, not just the economic benefits.

"This is an important step forward, as we know from overseas experience that the economic costs of GE release can be very high," Ms Fitzsimons said.

Jeanette is due to give a speech on the NOOM Bill in the House today at 5.30pm.

ENDS

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines

Gordon Campbell: On The New Government’s Policies Of Yesteryear

Winston Peters is routinely described as the kingmaker who decides whether the centre right or the centre-left has a turn at running this country. He also plays a less heralded, but equally important role as the scapegoat who can be blamed for killing taxes that his senior partners never much wanted in the first place. Neither Ardern nor Robertson for example, really wanted a capital gains tax, for fear of Labour copping the “tax and spend“ label they ended up being saddled with anyway. Usefully though, they could tell the party faithful it was wicked old Winston who killed the CGT... More

Government: National, ACT, & NZ First To Deliver For All Kiwis

The National Party claims the new coalition government will be stable, effective, and will deliver for all Kiwis. "Despite the challenging economic environment, New Zealanders can look forward to a better future because of the changes the new Government will make ... We know that, with the right leadership, the right policies, and the right direction, together New Zealanders can make this an even better country," says Christopher Luxon... More

ALSO:


 
 
Green Party: Petition To Save Oil & Gas Ban

“The new Government’s plan to expand oil and gas exploration is as dangerous as it is unscientific. Whatever you think about the new government, there is simply no mandate to trash the climate. We need to come together to stop them,” says James Shaw... More

PSA: MFAT Must Reverse Decision To Remove Te Reo

MFAT's decision to remove te reo from correspondence before new Ministers are sworn in risks undermining the important progress the public sector has made in honouring te Tiriti. "We are very disappointed in what is a backward decision - it simply seems to be a Ministry bowing to the racist rhetoric we heard on the election campaign trail," says Marcia Puru... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.