Sun, 28 Jul 2002

Over 90% of voters support Royal Commission findings

"Over 90% of New Zealand voters have supported political parties who endorsed the outcomes of the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification," the Chairman of the Life Sciences Network, Dr William Rolleston, said today.

"On election night, before the counting of special votes, the combined tally for parties which campaigned for an extension of the moratorium on commercial release of GM was under 8% (Green Party, Alliance and Mana Maori Movement).

"We have now had our referendum on the use of gene technology in New Zealand. It has been a resounding victory for the supporters of the technology.

"Despite their claims of majority support from the New Zealand public the anti-GE activists have not been able to deliver that support on the day.

"It is now our fervent hope the anti-GE campaigners will listen to the will of the people and work constructively to ensure the Environmental Risk Management Authority, and the whole country, considers future applications for commercial release in a positive environment based on scientific evidence.

"New Zealand has many opportunities available to it from the careful and selective use of gene technology. We now need to move quickly to adopt the proposed legislation for controlled environmental releases so we can start to harvest the benefits of this new technology," concluded Dr Rolleston.

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