Fitzsimons Jeanette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Fitzsimons Jeanette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:610;Page:7351] 
7.  
JEANETTE FITZSIMONS (Co-Leader—Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Local Government 
: What discussions did he have with local authorities’ representatives at the local government conference over their desire to have a strong voice in decisions over the release of genetically modified organisms and what was the outcome of those discussions? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER (Minister of Local Government) 
: 
 None as I will be speaking at the Local Government New Zealand conference tomorrow. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Does he agree with the leading British ecologist Professor David Bellamy who said in his speech to the local government conference that the Government would be foolhardy in the extreme and risk trashing 3.6 billion years of evolution if it releases genetically engineered (GE) organisms too soon? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: No. 
Dr Ashraf Choudhary 
: How will the views of local government be taken into account when the moratorium on the release of genetically modified (GM) organisms expires in October this year? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: When the moratorium expires the Environmental Risk Management Authority will be able to consider applications to release GM organisms on a case-by-case basis. Local authorities will have the ability to submit to the Environmental Risk Management Authority the views of their own communities on each case-by-case application. 
Jim Peters 
: Does the Minister accept the position that the total liability for any breach of conditions should lie with the applicant who is seeking the growth or development of a modified organism not with the consent authority; and will that be the position he will take tomorrow morning? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: I do not have responsibility for the New Organisms and Other Matters Bill which addresses that question. For a more specific response the member should direct his question to the Minister for the Environment. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister was asked a very precise question: where will the responsibility and liability lie—with local government or with the applicant—in the first instance? We are not asking a technical or scientific question. We are asking a question about local government liabilities and responsibilities which councils have been expressing concern about around the country. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member did answer that and said that it was not his responsibility but that of another Minister. That was his answer and it is an answer. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Does the Minister agree that if local authorities after appropriate consultation with their communities identify GE-free farming as a desired community outcome that is consistent with the Local Government Act which requires councils to determine such community outcomes and to promote the social economic environmental and cultural well-being of their communities? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: When the Environmental Risk Management Authority determines on a case-by-case basis whether a GM activity should take place local authorities will have the ability to make a submission on that and to have their say. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Aside from having the ability along with every other New Zealander to make a submission to the Environmental Risk Management Authority will the Government be giving local government a specific role in making decisions about whether a GE crop can be grown commercially in its jurisdiction; if not will it exempt local government from any responsibility for monitoring compliance or for any role in cleaning up if a GE release were to go badly wrong; if not why not? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Two of those three questions can be answered. 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: Again I reiterate that while I would be delighted to be responsible for environmental matters in this Parliament I am not. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: What other commercial activities for private profit can central government impose on local authorities in their areas against the wishes of their communities? 
Hon CHRIS CARTER 
: I have to say that as Minister of Local Government my office is besieged with letters from residents of New Zealand who feel that their views have not been listened to by local authorities. I also receive many letters from local authorities who feel constrained by Government actions so to answer the member’s question would take quite a lot of time.