Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
License needed for work use Register

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Groups Protest Against Dioxin at Parliament

Thu, 2 Dec 2004


Vietnam war veteran Kingi Taurua speaks at the launch of Greenpeace's "People Poisoned Daily" report at Parliament, Wellington, New Zealand, 02
Dec 2004.©GREENPEACE/Ross Setford

JOINT Press Statement

Parliament, Wellington: The groups here today represent Dioxin Investigation Action Group, SWAP – Sawmill Workers Against Poisons, Vietnam Vets. Te Waka Kai Ora and by proxy all peoples of Aotearoa/NZ.

This report shows that the entire country has been contaminated by dioxin, from 245T and 24D (the constituents of agent orange) on our land, our whenua and in our foodchain. No informed consent was given by communities or the environment to be poisoned.

This report contains evidence that this contamination is a contributing factor to statistically high levels of a broad range of diseases that are related to dioxins. This sits alongside our knowledge of the impact of a range of other chemicals including as PCP, DDT and PCB.

These chemicals are now universally banned due to their ability to track through the food chain and accumulate in high levels in those in the top of the food chain such as us and dolphins.

We demand that the Government acknowledge the seriousness of this issue and investigate and take appropriate action to help those people affected and clean up the environment. This assessment must be capable of answering the serious concerns and questions that the community has about dioxins. This assessment must have the trust of the community.

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.

Technical acceptance of these issues has now become mainstream, as indicated by the Ministry of Health issuing a more rigorous tolerable daily intake levels (TDI) for dioxin in 2002. Though even this, is protecting the liability of a few rather than the health of us all. Politicians have lagged behind in accepting the implications of these modern scientific findings and addressing issues .

The life of every New Zealander is too important for politicians to hide behind limp excuses and lame denials. The first hurdle in dealing with this is the recognize and acknowledge this has occurred. This report makes denial of the issue impossible. We need the Government to acknowledge the universal contamination of Aoteaora/NZ by dioxins and take action.

Statement made by Dioxin Investigation Action Group (DIAG), Sawmill Workers Against Poisons (SWAP), Te Waka Kai Ora, Vietnam Vets and Greenpeace Aotearoa/NZ.

ENDS


© Scoop Media

 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines

Gordon Campbell: On The Government’s Smokefree Laws Debacle

The most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable view is that the government was being deliberately misleading. Are we to think Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is a fool or a liar? It seems rather early on in his term of office to be facing that unpleasant choice... More


 
 
Public Housing Futures: Christmas Comes Early For Landlords

New CTU analysis of the National & ACT coalition agreement has shown the cost of returning interest deductibility to landlords is an extra $900M on top of National’s original proposal. This is because it is going to be implemented earlier and faster, including retrospective rebates from April 2023. More


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.