Anderton Stands Against Lifting GE Moratorium

Progressive Party leader, Jim Anderton, told Parliament this afternoon that his party will not be voting for the NOOM Bill.

"In the Progressive Party's view, as ratified by our recent inaugural conference, consumer resistance to GM foods appears to be hardening around the world and more and more overseas food suppliers are seeking foods that can be guaranteed 'GM-Free'. What alarms us is that this is particularly true of the wealthier markets of Japan and Western Europe," Jim Anderton said.

"Some New Zealand exporters tell us that they are currently benefiting from promoting New Zealand's "GM-Free" status. They tell us that by changing the perception, and therefore potentially the reality, that New Zealand is no longer a GM-Free food producer, we risk losing the edge that our current status affords us and that could cost us jobs and export sales," Jim Anderton told Parliament.

Speech is posted at: http://www.progressive.org.nz

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