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Date: April 2 2008Daniel Lewis
TWO members of the expert committee that advises the State Government on genetically modified crops claim they are gagged from speaking about the committee's work, and the committee's make-up is kept from the public to hide the fact it is stacked with pro-GM appointees.
The committee's chairman, Tim Reeves, also sits on the board of the Grains Research and Development Corporation, which invests in GM research.
Professor Reeves says he judges GM issues on their merits and has no conflict of interest. He believes other committee members operate similarly.
Not even the names of the committee's members appear on the Department of Primary Industries website, but it includes people from the CSIRO, the Australian Wheat Board (AWB), the NSW Farmers' Association, GrainCorp and the plant-breeding organisation CropLife - all organisations that have supported GM crops.
Professor Reeves said GM legislation demanded a publicly available register listing committee members and their pecuniary interests be kept.
But the Herald was told it could only be viewed where it is kept at a Department of Primary Industries office in Tamworth.
Last month, the Primary Industries Minister, Ian Macdonald, announced historic approval for GM canola to be grown commercially after an application from seed companies.
"As part of the legislated requirements, I referred the application to the expert committee to assess and the committee's subsequent advice was that the application met the criteria required," he said. But not all committee members agreed.
The environmental scientist Jo Immig and canola grower Juliet McFarlane say the go-ahead should not have been given because segregation of GM and non-GM canola cannot be guaranteed and non-GM farmers have no legal protection if their crops are contaminated by GM.
Mrs McFarlane was previously appointed by the Government to a GM "advisory committee" as a representative of the anti-GM Network of Concerned Farmers.
When the Government amended its GM moratorium act late last year to allow the approval of GM crops, the members of the advisory committee became independent members of the "expert committee".
Mrs McFarlane said that as the committee's only canola grower, it was ridiculous that she could not talk to other canola growers about the committee's work.
Professor Reeves said confidentiality was necessary. But Mrs McFarlane said: "There is no commercially sensitive material in our discussions.
"The NSW community has a right to know that the expert committee was split on the recommendation for approval of genetically engineered canola.
"The expert committee has been gagged … and we are unable to publicly debate the contentious application for fear of a jail sentence."
Professor Reeves denied that he maked sure the minister only heard certain views.
The committee's members "are not appointed to be pro or against the technology", he said. "I believe in their integrity."
On two occasions the Greens MP Ian Cohen unsuccessfully asked Mr Macdonald to provide the names on the committee and declarations of pecuniary interest.
TWO members of the expert committee that advises the State Government on genetically modified crops claim they are gagged from speaking about the committee's work, and the committee's make-up is kept from the public to hide the fact it is stacked with pro-GM appointees.
The committee's chairman, Tim Reeves, also sits on the board of the Grains Research and Development Corporation, which invests in GM research.
Professor Reeves says he judges GM issues on their merits and has no conflict of interest. He believes other committee members operate similarly.
Not even the names of the committee's members appear on the Department of Primary Industries website, but it includes people from the CSIRO, the Australian Wheat Board (AWB), the NSW Farmers' Association, GrainCorp and the plant-breeding organisation CropLife - all organisations that have supported GM crops.
Professor Reeves said GM legislation demanded a publicly available register listing committee members and their pecuniary interests be kept.
But the Herald was told it could only be viewed where it is kept at a Department of Primary Industries office in Tamworth.
Last month, the Primary Industries Minister, Ian Macdonald, announced historic approval for GM canola to be grown commercially after an application from seed companies.
"As part of the legislated requirements, I referred the application to the expert committee to assess and the committee's subsequent advice was that the application met the criteria required," he said. But not all committee members agreed.
The environmental scientist Jo Immig and canola grower Juliet McFarlane say the go-ahead should not have been given because segregation of GM and non-GM canola cannot be guaranteed and non-GM farmers have no legal protection if their crops are contaminated by GM.
Mrs McFarlane was previously appointed by the Government to a GM "advisory committee" as a representative of the anti-GM Network of Concerned Farmers.
When the Government amended its GM moratorium act late last year to allow the approval of GM crops, the members of the advisory committee became independent members of the "expert committee".
Mrs McFarlane said that as the committee's only canola grower, it was ridiculous that she could not talk to other canola growers about the committee's work.
Professor Reeves said confidentiality was necessary. But Mrs McFarlane said: "There is no commercially sensitive material in our discussions.
"The NSW community has a right to know that the expert committee was split on the recommendation for approval of genetically engineered canola.
"The expert committee has been gagged … and we are unable to publicly debate the contentious application for fear of a jail sentence."
Professor Reeves denied that he maked sure the minister only heard certain views.
The committee's members "are not appointed to be pro or against the technology", he said. "I believe in their integrity."
On two occasions the Greens MP Ian Cohen unsuccessfully asked Mr Macdonald to provide the names on the committee and declarations of pecuniary interest.
1 comment:
Yet another pro-GM government bias to get GM into the country. When this shows how biased the "expert committee" were, what can be done? The cats been let out of the bag and the CSIRO, AWB, CropLife etc. are all funded by the GM companies and/or the R&D for GM from the Government.
Yes, the names of the committee are withheld and hidden in some secret box in the bottom of the basement in Tamworth and how about that?
The people responsible know who was on the committee and this is just a delaying tactic until the GM canola is in the ground.
There should be a royal commission into the corruptness of this government with GM. They would be astonished at the result with the neglect of any testing from the FSANZ, any environmental implications and the payments to the pro-GM sector of the government would come out.
As I have said before, the more truth that comes out, the more is revealed about the nature of these pro-GM officials and the corruptness associated with them.
Justaconsumer
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