Greens dig in toes on GM

By VERNON SMALL

Green co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons has hit back at Labour, saying it must shift its position on genetic modification because the Greens have moved enough.

"We have already gone more than halfway. There's nowhere further to move," Ms Fitzsimons said yesterday at the end of a three-day election-year conference.

"We believe it is Labour that's being intransigent."

The conference resolved unanimously to vote against any Government that lifted the present two-year moratorium on the commercial release of genetically modified organisms.

The move, which has already been criticised by Prime Minister Helen Clark, drew a warning from Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson.

He called for a compromise and said the stand-off between the Greens and Labour was damaging the long-term prospects of a centre-left Government.

But Ms Fitzsimons said Green delegates felt the party had already given away too much by accepting that it could not stop field trials of GM organisms.

"My message to people who want a centre-left Government is that they had better tell Labour to stop being unreasonable. It is not a big ask."

She said the Greens were not harming the prospects of a centre-left Government because it was clear that National and Act did not have enough support to form a Government.

Co-leader Rod Donald said: "It's a nightmare that will not happen."

The choice was between a majority Labour Government and one in which the Greens held the balance of power and could "strengthen Labour's spine" on key areas, including reducing child poverty.

Ms Fitzsimons said if Labour "needs our help to remain in power after the election, they will have to move their bottom-line and agree to extend the moratorium".

"For them this is surely a small price to pay for the continuation of a centre-left Government in this country."

The conference had not set any other non-negotiable policies, and it was unlikely any would emerge before the election.

Other policies, such as free trade agreements and social spending plans, were negotiable.

But the Greens might insist on some procedural matters about the way a Government would work.

The 230 Green delegates at the conference, held at Auckland University's Waipapa marae, resolved to enter talks with Labour over either a coalition or an agreement on policy and spending if the Greens held the balance of power.

The Greens also unveiled a children's policy package including the return of a family benefit paid for every dependent child at an annual cost of $500 million.

Mr Donald said the party would announce and cost other spending plans and revenue-raising measures, such as eco-taxes.

It would have a full slate of policies but would not release a fully costed Green budget. The party did not have the resources for that and it would be purely hypothetical.

The other big spending commitment is likely to be a universal student allowance as the party moves to consolidate support among younger voters.

Green officials said polling by Colmar Brunton in March showed it was attracting 7.2 per cent of the vote. Of that, 84 per cent were aged under 40.

In the under 20-year-old group the Greens were attracting 20 per cent support.

Labour voters were shown to be the most likely to switch their vote to the Greens.

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