Maori MPs reassured about GM

By FRANCESCA MOLD political reporter

Labour's Maori MPs are expected to drop their opposition to the Government's plan to allow some field trials just hours before today's release of its decision on genetic modification.

The Government will reveal its response to the $6.5 million Royal Commission on Genetic Modification after Labour and Alliance caucuses meet this morning.

The decision was made at the cabinet meeting yesterday but both parties wanted to brief their MPs before making it public.

The Alliance was yesterday claiming a policy victory, which could mean tough new conditions on field trials, including the removal of all soils used in genetic modification research.

But the Greens, who oppose all field trials, remained angry, especially because the Government had not agreed to immediately impose liability on researchers for any damage caused by their experiments.

Labour's Maori caucus had opposed the lifting of the moratorium on field trials, but it was understood most members had been reassured that new conditions imposed on projects would be tight enough to ensure genetically modified organisms would not escape.

The MPs were also confident that other concerns, including ensuring the inclusion of strong Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation and a religious abhorrence to the mixing of animal and human genes, would be dealt with over time.

However, it was understood one or two hardline Maori MPs, led by Associate Maori Affairs and Health Minister Tariana Turia, would still speak out against the decision.

Prime Minister Helen Clark yesterday played down questions about internal Labour party ructions, saying the decision would be seen as a practical outcome.

The public debate had been polarised, she said.

"Both extremes are capable of quite severe assault on each other, but I think it will be generally agreed that the Government's taken a pragmatic path and come up with a commonsense outcome."

Helen Clark said the commission had gone out of its way to understand Maori perspectives and suggest ways they could be involved in decision-making in the future.

She expected to leave the caucus room today with the support of her Labour colleagues for the decision.

Meanwhile, the Greens have been working behind the scenes to prepare their supporters for the Government's decision which goes against its stance on field trials.

An e-mail was sent to Green Party members on Saturday pointing out that the Government did not need their permission to move ahead with field trials and commercial release of GM products and it was risky to try to remove support on confidence and supply issues.

"It's not really about compromise at all," the e-mail said. "It's not about weakening our position. It's not about accommodation. It's about how far we can persuade them to go.

"It's about them having the power to do what they like and us having the power to withdraw confidence if we don't like it, with unknown consequences."

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Report of the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification

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