5. JEANETTE FITZSIMONS (Co-Leader—Green) Link to this
to the Minister for Biosecurity
Can he tell the House how much of the GE-contaminated sweet corn seed has been planted and in which districts?
Hon JIM ANDERTON (Minister for Biosecurity) Link to this
An estimated total of 4,420 kilograms of corn seed imported into New Zealand is currently being investigated for possible GM contamination. This includes an additional 2,600 kilograms of possibly contaminated seed that has been identified by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry following further tracing in the last day. Thus far the ministry’s investigation has identified that approximately two-thirds of the corn seed from these batches was planted in Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne, Blenheim, and Ashburton. The remaining unplanted seed has been secured. Biosecurity New Zealand has checked seed import records for the last year, and has discovered no further discrepancies.
Jeanette Fitzsimons Link to this
Can the Minister clarify for the House whether the plants will be destroyed, as announced on Monday, or whether the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has the power to decide to let them grow to maturity and to harvest them, as it said on radio today?
Biosecurity New Zealand is consulting with growers and seed producers, as is proper, but unless there are compelling reasons against it, it is almost certain that the unplanted seeds will be destroyed, and that the plants will be removed and destroyed.
Shane ArdernWill there be an inquiry into the apparent failure of Biosecurity New Zealand that saw contaminated sweet corn seeds breaching our borders despite two consignments having documentation that showed that the parent batches—the seeds that the seeds originated from—had GE-contaminated seed in them?
Yes, there will be a stringent inquiry into how this event occurred. It seems, on the face of it, to be human error, but although human error is possible, of course, the system—
Hon Dr Nick SmithYes, hopeless, as much as it is hopeless when a party’s leader is changed five times in 9 years; members opposite must have got it wrong there, too. [ Interruption] It has not changed the leader! I remember that that interjector was deputy leader for 3 days. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is conducting a stringent inquiry. There will be accountability here. But I say again that New Zealand is recognised as having one of the strongest biosecurity systems in the world. Many of the systems of countries all around the world would not even have picked up that seeds such as these had been introduced.
Hon Brian Donnelly Link to this
Is the Minister aware of any peer-reviewed, substantial research that demonstrates negative health effects from the eating of food with genetically modified components; if not, is it possible that the public is being unnecessarily panicked over the current GE corn fiasco?
I am aware that the levels of GM contamination here—and I cannot be sure, until the ministry has fully researched the issue, what the GM construct actually is—range between 0.1 percent, which is one seed in 10,000, and 0.9 percent. So the levels are low. I am not aware of any research that suggests that any of this seed is injurious to human health, but I cannot be absolutely sure of that, of course.
Jeanette Fitzsimons Link to this
What did the Minister mean when he said it was “almost certain” that the plants would be destroyed, in what situations might they not be destroyed, and is the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry trying to implement its long-held preference for a threshold below which genetic engineering contamination is legal?
When I say “almost” I mean “almost”, which means that the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is going through a process of consultation. If one goes through a process of consultation, one has to listen to, in this case, the seed producers, who claim they have a system of control that eliminates GM contamination. The ministry is rather questioning of that possibility, but that is what the seed producers say. We are also consulting with the growers who have planted the seed, none of which has reached a stage at which it is likely to create any long-term problem—as long as the plants are removed before they seed. But when one goes into a consultation process, one has to allow for the possible outcome—to let one’s prejudices be dictated to by the facts of the situation—and we are listening to that. But, as I said in my original answer, unless there are compelling reasons, which I cannot envisage at the moment—but because the consultation process is proceeding, we have to wait to see how that works—it is almost certain, in my view, that the seeds and the plants will be destroyed.