Smith Nick: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Smith Nick: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:611;Page:8614] 
7.  
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (NZ National—Nelson) 
 to the  
Minister of Research Science and Technology 
: How does he reconcile his statement to the House on 9 September regarding testing of suspected genetically modified sweetcorn that “One needs to get a positive result for both parts to get a positive test.” and the Prime Minister’s statement of 11 July 2002 that “… in order to conclude that there might be GE presence you have to have positive tests across two gene sequences.” with the protocol on GM contamination in sweetcorn seed imports? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS (Minister for the Environment) 
 on behalf of the 
 Minister of Research Science and Technology 
: Easily. Both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Research Science and Technology were referring to tests for the only available GM sweetcorn variety Bt11 which requires positive tests at both ends to give a positive result. This contrasts with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry protocol established some months later which also accounts for potential cross-contamination by GM maize varieties some of which contain only one of the gene sequences. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Why did the Minister say “some months later” when the protocol on GM contamination in sweetcorn plants was agreed to by the Environmental Risk Management Authority the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on 18 June 2001—a whole year before the Prime Minister’s misleading statements and 2 years before Pete Hodgson’s incorrect statements? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: From memory an interim protocol was established and published on 19 December 2000. It was followed up by a protocol that included both sweetcorn and maize—and therefore this follows on the answer I have already given—and that has since been revised again. 
Mark Peck 
: What varieties of GM sweetcorn exist and how many of the test gene sequences do they have? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: There is and has been only one variety of commercial GM sweetcorn. It contains both gene sequences. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: If that explanation is correct why does the protocol on GM contamination in sweetcorn—not corn—issued a year before the “corngate” issue arose say that there are 10 varieties of which the Prime Minister’s statement is correct for only four and most important that we are to conclude that there is GM material even if there is a positive test for just the 35s gene sequence? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: The protocol developed at that particular time included the possibility of cross-contamination between some maize and some sweetcorn. It also pointed out that in an event of such cross-contamination it is visible to the eye and does not need absolute testing. That is the specification of a thing called a dent—one can see the difference in the plant and in the seed without having to test it. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Why do the Minister and the Prime Minister think that the only possible source of contamination is from commercially available varieties of corn when there have already been cases of public record where corn has been contaminated with varieties that have not been commercially released? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: At the time the quotes are referring to—the testing that was done at the time of the GM scare in November-December 2000—the best advice of the scientists was that the corn being brought into the country could contain Bt11 because that was also grown in the particular valleys where the corn seed came from. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Noting that the Prime Minister herself has said on National Radio that she does not have a strong interest or background in science why would we believe her view over the protocol signed off by the Environmental Risk Management Authority the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on the GM contamination of sweetcorn seeds? Which is correct—the Prime Minister’s statement or the protocol that was signed off on 18 June 2001? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: I go back to the answer to the original question which said that the questions being answered by both the Prime Minister and Pete Hodgson were with regard to the testing of sweetcorn at that time whereas the protocol is about sweetcorn maize and possible cross-contamination. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: I seek leave to table not a protocol on any other type of maize but the protocol on GM contamination in sweetcorn. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.