Minister Reti Asked For Two Week Delay Of Select Committee Deadline

Hon Dr. Shane Reti as the Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology is being asked by GE Free NZ to use his professional understanding to guide Minister Sam Uffindell through the challenges to health that the Gene Technology Bill poses.

Extending the timeframe by two weeks and allowing more time for submitters is the first request of Minister Reti.

As a Doctor of Medicine Dr Reti will understand the complexities of individuals and the importance of properly testing pharmaceuticals. All pharmaceutical drugs must go through clinical trials and this includes all new recombinant or genetically engineered (GE) organisms. He will understand the importance that a safe diet has on health.

The Gene Technology Bill allows deregulation and exemption on gene edited food plants that introduce changes for tolerance to pesticides or produce insecticidal toxins and could even produce pharmaceuticals in plants.

A GE plant or animal approved by two overseas regulators is to be deemed acceptable for automatic approval to release in New Zealand. The protections in the HSNO Act should be maintained instead.

Over the last 30 years the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and previously Environmental Risk Management authority (ERMA) there have been hundreds of approvals given to develop GE in containment and 20 field trials from plants to animals. The field trial research have failed all the performance expectations.

The two existing field trials are GE animals that suffer from serious problems from high abortion rates of surrogates, calf deformities, organ failure, and early unexplained death or euthanasia for humane reasons. GE Trees to date have not produced any commercial results.

The Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act (HSNO) does not ban applications to genetically engineer /modify/gene edit animals, plants microbes it requires robust scientific trials to show safety to the environment animals and people.

“Over the years Governments have eroded the risk management and the extremely complex and permissive Gene Technology Bill is ignoring all risk factors to the environment and health by exempting GE organisms” said Claire Bleakley, president of GE Free NZ.

“This Bill take away all safety requirements for exempted GE and must be given time for submitters to fully understand the risky consequences.”

The submission timeline is narrow, only 30 working days, if statutory, weekends and annual holidays are factored in, and submissions close on 17 February.

“This is the reason we have asked for a two week extension to help submitters understand and make informed submissions,” said Bleakley

Please go to the action alert box on www.gefree.org.nz for more information on how to make a submission.

References

[1] https://www.beehive.govt.nz/minister/biography/shane-reti

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546595/

[3] https://www.gefree.org.nz/assets/pdf/GE-Animals-in-New-Zealand.pdf

[4] https://www.scionresearch.com/science/genetic-engineering

© Scoop Media