Ewen-Street Ian: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Ewen-Street Ian: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:624;Page:19232] 
8.  
IAN EWEN-STREET (Green) 
 to the  
Minister for the Environment 
: Does she stand by her response to my question for written answer 15237 (2004) that a role of the Ministry for the Environment in respect of biotechnology is to “ensure our regulations remain appropriate”; if so has she received any new information that would cause her to revise those regulations? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS (Minister for the Environment) 
: 
 Yes I stand by that response and no I have received no new information that would cause me to revise current regulations. 
Ian Ewen-Street 
: What then is the response of the Minister to the findings of the recent United States Government research that proved that individual genes do not line up with one-on-one individual heritable traits but line up with multiple traits which means that changing even one gene by genetic engineering will inevitably lead to multiple undesirable outcomes and inherent instability? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: I am well aware of that development in genetic technology and that is the reason why we have an Environmental Risk Management Authority that takes such applications on a case by case basis. 
David Parker 
: Is the Minister satisfied that the case by case approach she just spoke of is and remains appropriate for dealing with biotechnology advances in New Zealand? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: Yes more than ever. My colleagues Peter Hodgson and Steve Maharey recently announced grants in excess of $20 million to put New Zealand at the forefront of biotechnology innovation and we have rigorous testing processes under our hazardous substances and new organisms legislation to ensure we can take advantage of developments and be aware of changes in technology. 
Larry Baldock 
: Would the Minister agree that the fact none of the predictions about overseas consumers boycotting New Zealand produce once the GE moratorium was lifted have eventuated is a reasonable indication that our regulations have been appropriate; if so does she have concerns that the comments from Dr Tony Connor a professor of plant biology at Lincoln University as reported in the  
New Zealand Herald  
yesterday that “…it has become virtually impossible to justify field trials of GM plants because of the costs involved and the effort to win approval.” perhaps indicate that the regulations are too tight? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: What I take from Dr Tony Connor’s comments is an indication that we do have a rigorous assessment regime and it does involve costs but they are appropriate given the level of assessment and the risk management called for by the public. 
Hon Brian Donnelly 
: Is it not true that since the moratorium was lifted there have been no applications for commercial release—in fact no applications for field trials—and therefore is it no wonder that lifting it has had no impact on our overseas trade? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: Yes. 
Ian Ewen-Street 
: Does the Minister stand by her statement in a recent issue of the Environmental Risk Management Authority’s  
Perspective 
 newsletter: “Continuing attention has been given to relationships with a whole range of stakeholders.”; or does she now agree with Bas Walker the authority’s chief executive who has admitted that the authority is being boycotted by non-governmental organisations and independent scientists because of their lack of faith in the authority? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: I stand by my comments in the magazine. 
Ian Ewen-Street 
: Is the Minister aware of the recent review by Marvier and Van Acker in which the authors contend that risk management protocols concerning GE organisms have to date paid too little attention to the role of human error in generating risk and that coexistence of GE and non-GE crops is virtually impossible; and what advice has she received from Ministry for the Environment officials on this matter? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: I am not aware of that particular piece of research but I am aware of ongoing research on coexistence that gives different advice. 
Ian Ewen-Street 
: Is the Minister aware that species that grow through different life phases such as caterpillars growing into butterflies have identical DNA in both phases—in fact in all phases—of their lives; and if that DNA were to be used to create a GE pig for argument’s sake can the Minister predict whether the resulting creature will be a pig that builds a cocoon or a pig that flies? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: I can make no such prediction though I wish I could.