Fitzsimons Jeanette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Fitzsimons Jeanette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:613;Page:9797] 
9.  
JEANETTE FITZSIMONS (Co-Leader—Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Research Science and Technology 
: How much public funding from which sources in which years has been received by Crop and Food Research for the development and field testing of herbicide-tolerant genetically engineered onions? 
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Research Science and Technology) 
: 
 Crop and Food Research has received a total of $250700 from the Foundation for Research Science and Technology for research involving the development and field testing of herbicide-tolerant GM onions between 1999 and 2003. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: In light of the involvement of two large multinationals which will certainly expect their slice of the pie and the extraordinary statement by Crop and Food Research this week that it does not know who will own the intellectual property or how any commercial benefits would be shared can the Minister enlighten us on what the New Zealand public will receive in return for all this investment? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: No I cannot because I neither govern nor manage the company. However it is routine amongst Crown research institutes in New Zealand to enter into some form of intellectual property arrangement which might be an equity arrangement a licensing arrangement a buy-back arrangement or whatever and I fully expect Crop and Food Research to do so. 
Hon Brian Donnelly 
: How many of those Budgets that have been passed in this House through which public funding has been provided for the development of genetically engineered onions have been voted for by the Greens? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister has no responsibility for that particular question. 
Hon Brian Donnelly 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister has no responsibility for how the Greens voted on a particular issue. 
Hon Brian Donnelly 
: My point of order is that the Minister hasresponsibility in his particular portfolio for the preparation of Budget bids. The Budget comes before this House therefore it has to be passed one way or the other. All I asked for from the Minister was information about how many of those Budgets that he has prepared or have been prepared in this particular case have had the support of the Greens. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The particular part of the question relating to his portfolio and the Budget is in order and the Minister may comment. 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: At least some of them. 
David Parker 
: What advice has the Minister received about the use of herbicide in conventional onion horticulture and the possibilities of reducing its use? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: The idea behind the research at Crop and Food Research is to reduce chemical use on onion fields by about two-thirds. This is just as well because onion fields need a lot of chemicals. I am advised that between 10 and 15 different “toxic and persistent” herbicides are used each season. That advice comes from the Green Party. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: If the objective is herbicide reduction why is New Zealand investing all this money in possibly reducing herbicide use by two-thirds—or as the onion industry submitted more likely by 40 percent—when organic onion growers are already reducing it to zero but funding for organic horticulture research has just been cut completely? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: It is possible to grow onions without chemicals. Indeed I am advised that some progress in mechanical weeding has been made. However even using a combination of flaming harrowing sowing in darkness plus brush weeding does not remove the need for all chemicals; therefore it seems that some form of chemical use should be an ordinary part of onion growing. If we are to go completely organic we will have slave labour or very high prices. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Does the Minister agree with the recent report to his ministry by Professor Brian Wynne in which he said: “If the public has supported biosciences and biotechnology research and technology for 20 years or more it has the right to expect real evidence of the beneficial effects of this funding.”; if so what are the beneficial effects of the public investment in GE herbicide-tolerant onions? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: As with all research the effects lie in the future and remain uncertain. If they were not uncertain then they would not need to be researched. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: Is Professor Wynne right in his assessment that the public is concerned about and I quote from his report “the sense that Governments are primarily motivated by unacknowledged promotion of the commercial agenda whilst attempting to portray themselves as devoted to public protection and responsiveness.”? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: Professor Wynne’s report is about 100 pages long. It is a shame that the member for the Green Party chooses to quote it so selectively. The conclusion of Professor Wynne’s report is very favourable towards this country indeed.