Ballina MP speaks out against GM food
Ballina MP Don Page has spoken in State Parliament opposing the lifting of the moratorium on growing genetically modified (GM) food products.
“I believe the reasons behind putting the moratorium in place in 2003 still apply today. The trials that were supposed to have taken place for GM canola in New South Wales following the 2003 legislation have not taken place,” Mr Page said.
“Furthermore, there are no long-term health studies that show that the consumption of GM foods is perfectly safe and that there are no downstream consequences.
“Given a choice, 90% of people will avoid eating GM food, according to a Coles consumer survey.
“If people do not want to eat GM foods and we have primary industries switching over to GM foods, there has to be a question about whether this is the right way to go from a marketing perspective, quite apart from any long-term health concerns.
“Australia has a clean, green image and we should try to keep it.
“The experience in Canada and elsewhere is that it is impossible to segregate GM from non-GM product, especially canola, the seeds of which are so fine as to be like water to handle. Contamination is inevitable, and farmers who want to produce GM-free product will not be able to give the zero content of GM product in GM-free markets that is required.
“Why should a grower of GM-free food be held liable for contamination that occurs from a neighbour when the contamination occurred without their concurrence?”
Mr Page said he was very concerned about going down the GM track, for health and toxicology reasons, for marketing reasons, for contamination reasons, and for economic reasons. “I point out that only 25% of farmers are in favour of the release of GM food products,” he said.
