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Started by Christiaan Brigg
Tue, 09 Jul 2002 23:25
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Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: Christiaan Brigg
Date: Tue, 09 Jul 2002 23:25
Date: Tue, 09 Jul 2002 23:25
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Helen Clark is in the provinces campaigning and is unavailable for questioning..... http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0207/S00068.htm Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup Wednesday, 10 July 2002, 10:02 am Press Release: Nicky Hager - Researcher News release 10 July 2002 New book tells the story of GE contamination coverup Prime Minister Helen Clark and a few key Ministers of the Labour-Alliance Government kept a large accidental release of genetically engineered (GE) sweet corn plants secret and allowed them to be grown, harvested and sold to New Zealanders and export markets. The detailed story of GE contaminated sweet corn crops, and subsequent efforts to hide the story from the public, most of Cabinet and the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification, is revealed today with the release of Nicky Hager¹s new book, Seeds of Distrust¹. The book documents how in November 2000, in the middle of the Royal Commission, the Government learned that a 5.6 tonne consignment of sweet corn seeds from the United States had been found to be contaminated with GE sweet corn seeds. By the time Helen Clark and Environment Minister Marian Hobbs were told, thousands of GE sweet corn plants were growing in three regions of New Zealand Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and Blenheim and over half the seeds were still due to be planted that season (including 1000kg supplied to a seed supplier in Timaru). While Hobbs was designated lead Minister¹, Helen Clark took control of the issue and moved hour-by-hour management of the issue into the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Strict secrecy was imposed. Initially Clark instructed that, whatever the precise actions taken, her bottom line¹ was that the contaminated crops must be pulled out. Officials began urgent work to draft a special regulation, passed by Cabinet soon after, to provide the necessary powers to order destruction of the crops. They made preparations for a public announcement about the crops and the actions being taken to remove them. Then two things happened. First, concerted business lobbying began, led by Norrey Simmons of the PR company Communications Trumps, who represented the multinational seed company, Novartis. She and other PR representatives (Heinz Wattie, Talley¹s and Cedenco had planted the seeds) were regularly consulted during the decision making. At the same time, the Ministers involved realised that, contrary to what they had expected, the story had not leaked to the news media. The option of hushing it up presented itself. Helen Clark reversed her earlier bottom line. The option of destroying the crops was dropped, the sweet corn was left to grow and approval was given for the rest of the seeds to be planted out. At least 5 tonnes of pure GE corn was processed (the equivalent of about 10,000 cans of corn) as part of (and mixed into) the harvest of conventional corn. Although most the crops were in Gisborne and Hawkes Bay, Maori concerns over GE food did not feature in decision making. The Ministers and officials involved began an elaborate process of covering up the story. The stages and methods used in the cover-up are the subject of the book. Nicky Hager says that although the context is a story about genetic engineering, this is primarily a book about government and democracy. The story shows what happens when leaders try to control controversial issues using secrecy, PR and political management.¹ My last book, before the 1999 election, was about a National Government that had become complacent and arrogant in the way it treated the public and constitutional processes. This book is about the present Government being at risk of going the same way.¹ The book is relevant to current debates about the reliability and trustworthiness of the processes controlling genetic engineering. In this story, the largest known release of genetically engineered plants into the New Zealand environment, the Government did not even refer the issue to the Environmental Risk Management Authority. The laws and processes for handling GE organisms, the ones we are told are very strict and cautious, were simply by-passed. Instead the Government made ad hoc policy decisions that ignored entirely the laws and proper procedures.¹ The key Ministers who have been reassuring the public over the strict, precautionary processes in place for genetic engineering, all know about the contaminated sweet corn case. Not only did they make the decisions, they actively misled the Royal Commission about the incident, possibly contributing to the Royal Commission¹s conclusion that existing safeguards are reliable. There were two main arguments used within government to justify the sweet corn decision at the time. Both were put to the Government by the companies involved. The first was that GE seed contamination was inevitable¹, and that New Zealand should be a world-leader¹ in setting acceptable¹ levels of contamination. The Government did this, agreeing any contamination of less than 0.5% content of GE seeds in crops would be allowed a policy which was immediately used to retrospectively deem¹ the contaminated crops as being GE free¹ so they could be left in the ground. Significantly, as soon as the contaminated sweet corn incident was safely in the past, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry reviewed this policy (in May 2002) and concluded that GE seed contamination was not inevitable and that there should be zero tolerance¹ of GE contamination. The report argued: [An] option being discussed internationally is to allow the unintended presence of low levels of GM seeds below a certain threshold. This approach is not feasible because it would allow GM seeds to enter New Zealand even if they were detected, if they were at levels below the threshold. This would undermine the approval process for GM organisms. Yet when it was pragmatic for solving¹ the sweet corn crisis, precisely this threshold system had been adopted. The other argument used to justify the decisions was that, although there had been several positive results showing GE seeds in the batch of Novartis seeds, a further detailed assessment¹ suggested that there was no reliably detectable contamination present. However, Nicky Hager was shown a copy of the detailed assessment¹ that was done. All that the government scientist had been asked to check was whether the contamination results were under the newly adopted 0.5% threshold. He did not say there was no contamination nor that it was not reliably detectable. Moreover, he pointed out that if there was any doubt, the tests could just be rerun. But no follow up testing was done. The scientist¹s conservative estimate was 0.04% contamination, amounting to about 15,000 GE sweet corn plants in the environment. When his results were subsequently reviewed by two members of the ERMA board (in a highly critical report about the sweet corn decisions that Nicky Hager obtained for the book), they estimated that the number of GE sweet corn plants was more likely to be about 30,000. The contaminated crops were quietly processed and sold to the public during the year 2001. The same tolerable GE contamination¹ policy applied for the 2001-2002 growing season, so questions remain over the GE content of this year¹s corn crops. Although one shipment of corn for poultry feed was rejected as being above the 0.5% threshhold, and one small (2.7kg) sweet corn seed parcel was rejected, it is not known if other batches with contamination were detected but allowed in because of the arbitrary 0.5% threshold. Nicky Hager says that the book raises three issues. First is the importance of the public being able to trust decision-makers in contentious issues like genetic engineering. Helen Clark has spoken of the importance of honesty, openness and integrity¹ underpinning New Zealand¹s reputation for trustworthy food production. As the book asks, Why should New Zealanders trust government and company assurances about a new technology like genetic engineering if, when something goes wrong, it is cleverly hushed up?¹ The second issue is that government secrecy and PR tactics serve private lobbyists well but undermine democratic government. The third concerns the constant ridicule of critics of GE we are witnessing in the news media. This needs to be recognised for what it is: a PR tactic orchestrated by GE interests. The Government and GE interests cannot silence potential critical voices and cover up things that go wrong and then claim that public suspicion about genetic engineering is irrational.¹ When I stumbled across the story and began to research and write it, the issues of genetic engineering and integrity of government processes were relatively quiet. During the months since, a snap election was called and these two issues have become very prominent. I have mixed feelings about releasing the book at such a controversial time. However, if I had put it off until after the election, I would in a way be participating in the cover-up myself. I decided the public has a right to know.¹ The books are on sale from 9am Wednesday, 10 July 2002.
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: kdavies@ihug.co.
Date: Tue, 09 Jul 2002 20:53
Date: Tue, 09 Jul 2002 20:53
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Nick Hagar - isn't he the idiot who said the terrorists who flew the planes into the WTC were, in a way, "heroes"? The f.w. has no credibility whatsoever. f.c.s.c. Christiaan Briggs <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote in message news:<B9512175.ACE8%cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz>... > Helen Clark is in the provinces campaigning and is unavailable for > questioning..... > > http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0207/S00068.htm > > Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup > Wednesday, 10 July 2002, 10:02 am > Press Release: Nicky Hager - Researcher > > News release 10 July 2002 > > New book tells the story of GE contamination coverup > > > Prime Minister Helen Clark and a few key Ministers of the Labour-Alliance > Government kept a large accidental release of genetically engineered (GE) > sweet corn plants secret and allowed them to be grown, harvested and sold to > New Zealanders and export markets. > <blah blah blah>
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: Christiaan Brigg
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 10:02
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 10:02
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Daniel Silva wrote: > Christiaan Briggs <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote in message > news:B9512175.ACE8%cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz... > >> Helen Clark is in the provinces campaigning and is unavailable for >> questioning..... >> >> http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0207/S00068.htm >> >> Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup >> Wednesday, 10 July 2002, 10:02 am >> Press Release: Nicky Hager - Researcher > > Miss Clark is a liar, unfit to hold high public office. However, before you > get too excited, note the claims that Janette Fitzimmons knew all about the > deception too: > http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0207/S00113.htm Hehe...scrape that barrel fullas.
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: kerryd@remove.th
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 11:26
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 11:26
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On Wed, 10 Jul 2002 15:21:16 +1200, "John Smith" <tango4rus@yahoo.com> wrote: > >"Daniel Silva" <daniel@NOSPAMsilva.co.nz> wrote in message >news:lKLW8.5623$7G4.875772@news.xtra.co.nz... >> Christiaan Briggs <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote in message >> news:B9512175.ACE8%cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz... >> >> > Helen Clark is in the provinces campaigning and is unavailable for >> > questioning..... >> > >> > http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0207/S00068.htm >> > >> > Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup >> > Wednesday, 10 July 2002, 10:02 am >> > Press Release: Nicky Hager - Researcher >> >> Miss Clark is a liar, unfit to hold high public office. However, before >you >> get too excited, note the claims that Janette Fitzimmons knew all about >the >> deception too: >> http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0207/S00113.htm >> >> >> >Interesting that Janette Fitzimmons now says she is SHOCKED !!......Someone >somewhere is not telling the truth!......Funny how, where there are pollies, >there is often lots of shit and a fan that gets hit with it. > Thos morning she was 'shocked' 'horrified' and 'devastated', and denied ever having heard of such a shocking thing Tonight she said she discussed the issue with Marianne Hobbs 18 months ago. Why didn;t she say anythign about it at that time? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No one can be as calculatedly rude as the British, which amazes Americans, who do not understand studied insult and can only offer abuse as a substitute. --Paul Gallico ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: kerryd@remove.th
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 11:29
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 11:29
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On 10 Jul 2002 19:52:39 +1200, "Craig Harris" <mossman@clear.net.nz> wrote: > > >TomV <tomv@ihug.blahblah.co.nz> wrote in article ><m3pniu8o9f1jrl64e865pset41uc3f291j@4ax.com>... >> On Wed, 10 Jul 2002 15:21:16 +1200, "John Smith" <tango4rus@yahoo.com> >> wrote: >> >> >Interesting that Janette Fitzimmons now says she is SHOCKED >!!......Someone >> >somewhere is not telling the truth!......Funny how, where there are >pollies, >> >there is often lots of shit and a fan that gets hit with it. >> >> Shocked that she has been found out I think. >> >> ...tom > >Watching her on TV3 was fun. She claimed she had not seen any of the >documentation referred to in Hager's book. Well on TV1 tonight she had the book, explained she was familiar with the documentation, and talked to Hobbs about it 18 months ago I though Spin Doctors did the Greens very well tonight. I'll be interested in their share of the vote. It could be very reassuring or very scary indeed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No one can be as calculatedly rude as the British, which amazes Americans, who do not understand studied insult and can only offer abuse as a substitute. --Paul Gallico ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: Christiaan Brigg
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 12:28
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 12:28
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Daniel Silva wrote: > "Christiaan Briggs" <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote in message > news:B951B6BB.AE08%cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz... >> Daniel Silva wrote: >> >>> Christiaan Briggs <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote in message >>> news:B9512175.ACE8%cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz... >>> >>>> Helen Clark is in the provinces campaigning and is unavailable for >>>> questioning..... >>>> >>>> http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0207/S00068.htm >>>> >>>> Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup >>>> Wednesday, 10 July 2002, 10:02 am >>>> Press Release: Nicky Hager - Researcher >>> >>> Miss Clark is a liar, unfit to hold high public office. However, before > you >>> get too excited, note the claims that Janette Fitzimmons knew all about > the >>> deception too: >>> http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0207/S00113.htm >> >> >> Hehe...scrape that barrel fullas. > > Feeling a bit uncomfortable, huh? No just amused that you'd try and implicate Jeanette. Jeanette only knew a tiny part of the story....but keep digging, it'll keep you occupied. Christiaan
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: kerryd@remove.th
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 12:53
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 12:53
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On Thu, 11 Jul 2002 00:19:33 +1200, "John Smith" <tango4rus@yahoo.com> wrote: > >"Kerry" <kerryd@remove.this.bit.ihug.co.nz> wrote in message >news:3d2c1a16.45810401@news.wlg.ihug.co.nz... >> On 10 Jul 2002 19:52:39 +1200, "Craig Harris" <mossman@clear.net.nz> >> >Watching her on TV3 was fun. She claimed she had not seen any of the >> >documentation referred to in Hager's book. >> >> Well on TV1 tonight she had the book, explained she was familiar with >> the documentation, and talked to Hobbs about it 18 months ago >> >> >Kerry, come again..?...How can Jeannete say 'Not seen' for TV3 and, 'yes, >seen" for TV1....!! Dear oh, dear!..What will she say to TV2 and TV4? > Interesting isn't it? Denied any knowlege of it at all on Morning report today too. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No one can be as calculatedly rude as the British, which amazes Americans, who do not understand studied insult and can only offer abuse as a substitute. --Paul Gallico ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: kerryd@remove.th
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 12:54
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 12:54
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On Wed, 10 Jul 2002 13:23:05 +0100, Christiaan Briggs <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote: >John Smith wrote: > >> >> "Kerry" <kerryd@remove.this.bit.ihug.co.nz> wrote in message >> news:3d2c1a16.45810401@news.wlg.ihug.co.nz... >>> On 10 Jul 2002 19:52:39 +1200, "Craig Harris" <mossman@clear.net.nz> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> >>>> >>>> TomV <tomv@ihug.blahblah.co.nz> wrote in article >>>> <m3pniu8o9f1jrl64e865pset41uc3f291j@4ax.com>... >>>>> On Wed, 10 Jul 2002 15:21:16 +1200, "John Smith" <tango4rus@yahoo.com> >>>>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Interesting that Janette Fitzimmons now says she is SHOCKED >>>> !!......Someone >>>>>> somewhere is not telling the truth!......Funny how, where there are >>>> pollies, >>>>>> there is often lots of shit and a fan that gets hit with it. >>>>> >>>>> Shocked that she has been found out I think. >>>>> >>>>> ...tom >>>> >>>> Watching her on TV3 was fun. She claimed she had not seen any of the >>>> documentation referred to in Hager's book. >>> >>> Well on TV1 tonight she had the book, explained she was familiar with >>> the documentation, and talked to Hobbs about it 18 months ago >>> >>> >> Kerry, come again..?...How can Jeannete say 'Not seen' for TV3 and, 'yes, >> seen" for TV1....!! Dear oh, dear!..What will she say to TV2 and TV4? > > >What on earth is the point of discussing this if you are not going to quote >her exactly??? > >Christiaan > I was. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No one can be as calculatedly rude as the British, which amazes Americans, who do not understand studied insult and can only offer abuse as a substitute. --Paul Gallico ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: "Daniel Silva"
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 13:04
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 13:04
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Christiaan Briggs <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote in message news:B9512175.ACE8%cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz... > Helen Clark is in the provinces campaigning and is unavailable for > questioning..... > > http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0207/S00068.htm > > Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup > Wednesday, 10 July 2002, 10:02 am > Press Release: Nicky Hager - Researcher Miss Clark is a liar, unfit to hold high public office. However, before you get too excited, note the claims that Janette Fitzimmons knew all about the deception too: http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0207/S00113.htm
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: kerryd@remove.th
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 13:17
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 13:17
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On Wed, 10 Jul 2002 14:08:45 +0100, Christiaan Briggs <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote: >John Smith wrote: > >> >> "Kerry" <kerryd@remove.this.bit.ihug.co.nz> wrote in message >> news:3d2c2e41.50972694@news.wlg.ihug.co.nz... >>> On Thu, 11 Jul 2002 00:19:33 +1200, "John Smith" <tango4rus@yahoo.com> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> >>>> "Kerry" <kerryd@remove.this.bit.ihug.co.nz> wrote in message >>>> news:3d2c1a16.45810401@news.wlg.ihug.co.nz... >>>>> On 10 Jul 2002 19:52:39 +1200, "Craig Harris" <mossman@clear.net.nz> >>> >>>>>> Watching her on TV3 was fun. She claimed she had not seen any of the >>>>>> documentation referred to in Hager's book. >>>>> >>>>> Well on TV1 tonight she had the book, explained she was familiar with >>>>> the documentation, and talked to Hobbs about it 18 months ago >>>>> >>>>> >>>> Kerry, come again..?...How can Jeannete say 'Not seen' for TV3 and, 'yes, >>>> seen" for TV1....!! Dear oh, dear!..What will she say to TV2 and TV4? >>>> >>> >>> Interesting isn't it? Denied any knowlege of it at all on Morning >>> report today too. >>> >>> >>> >> >> Just goes to show that you should be careful with all of political >> sleeszebags.....Crooks, mostly! > >Or how gullible you are to believe some misquote on an anonymous newsgroup. > >Christiaan > What the interactions shows, up until the point of your contribution Christiaan...is that there is a complete deficit of gullibility here. Well present compnay excepted. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No one can be as calculatedly rude as the British, which amazes Americans, who do not understand studied insult and can only offer abuse as a substitute. --Paul Gallico ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: Christiaan Brigg
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 13:23
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 13:23
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John Smith wrote: > > "Kerry" <kerryd@remove.this.bit.ihug.co.nz> wrote in message > news:3d2c1a16.45810401@news.wlg.ihug.co.nz... >> On 10 Jul 2002 19:52:39 +1200, "Craig Harris" <mossman@clear.net.nz> >> wrote: >> >>> >>> >>> TomV <tomv@ihug.blahblah.co.nz> wrote in article >>> <m3pniu8o9f1jrl64e865pset41uc3f291j@4ax.com>... >>>> On Wed, 10 Jul 2002 15:21:16 +1200, "John Smith" <tango4rus@yahoo.com> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>>> Interesting that Janette Fitzimmons now says she is SHOCKED >>> !!......Someone >>>>> somewhere is not telling the truth!......Funny how, where there are >>> pollies, >>>>> there is often lots of shit and a fan that gets hit with it. >>>> >>>> Shocked that she has been found out I think. >>>> >>>> ...tom >>> >>> Watching her on TV3 was fun. She claimed she had not seen any of the >>> documentation referred to in Hager's book. >> >> Well on TV1 tonight she had the book, explained she was familiar with >> the documentation, and talked to Hobbs about it 18 months ago >> >> > Kerry, come again..?...How can Jeannete say 'Not seen' for TV3 and, 'yes, > seen" for TV1....!! Dear oh, dear!..What will she say to TV2 and TV4? What on earth is the point of discussing this if you are not going to quote her exactly??? Christiaan
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: Christiaan Brigg
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 13:57
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 13:57
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Kerry wrote: > On Wed, 10 Jul 2002 13:23:05 +0100, Christiaan Briggs > <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote: > >> John Smith wrote: >> >>> >>> "Kerry" <kerryd@remove.this.bit.ihug.co.nz> wrote in message >>> news:3d2c1a16.45810401@news.wlg.ihug.co.nz... >>>> On 10 Jul 2002 19:52:39 +1200, "Craig Harris" <mossman@clear.net.nz> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> TomV <tomv@ihug.blahblah.co.nz> wrote in article >>>>> <m3pniu8o9f1jrl64e865pset41uc3f291j@4ax.com>... >>>>>> On Wed, 10 Jul 2002 15:21:16 +1200, "John Smith" <tango4rus@yahoo.com> >>>>>> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> Interesting that Janette Fitzimmons now says she is SHOCKED >>>>> !!......Someone >>>>>>> somewhere is not telling the truth!......Funny how, where there are >>>>> pollies, >>>>>>> there is often lots of shit and a fan that gets hit with it. >>>>>> >>>>>> Shocked that she has been found out I think. >>>>>> >>>>>> ...tom >>>>> >>>>> Watching her on TV3 was fun. She claimed she had not seen any of the >>>>> documentation referred to in Hager's book. >>>> >>>> Well on TV1 tonight she had the book, explained she was familiar with >>>> the documentation, and talked to Hobbs about it 18 months ago >>>> >>>> >>> Kerry, come again..?...How can Jeannete say 'Not seen' for TV3 and, 'yes, >>> seen" for TV1....!! Dear oh, dear!..What will she say to TV2 and TV4? >> >> >> What on earth is the point of discussing this if you are not going to quote >> her exactly??? >> >> Christiaan >> > > I was. Heard of a concept called context. If there's anything I've learnt on this group it is that people can be very creative with quoting. Christiaan
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: Christiaan Brigg
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 14:08
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 14:08
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John Smith wrote: > > "Kerry" <kerryd@remove.this.bit.ihug.co.nz> wrote in message > news:3d2c2e41.50972694@news.wlg.ihug.co.nz... >> On Thu, 11 Jul 2002 00:19:33 +1200, "John Smith" <tango4rus@yahoo.com> >> wrote: >> >>> >>> "Kerry" <kerryd@remove.this.bit.ihug.co.nz> wrote in message >>> news:3d2c1a16.45810401@news.wlg.ihug.co.nz... >>>> On 10 Jul 2002 19:52:39 +1200, "Craig Harris" <mossman@clear.net.nz> >> >>>>> Watching her on TV3 was fun. She claimed she had not seen any of the >>>>> documentation referred to in Hager's book. >>>> >>>> Well on TV1 tonight she had the book, explained she was familiar with >>>> the documentation, and talked to Hobbs about it 18 months ago >>>> >>>> >>> Kerry, come again..?...How can Jeannete say 'Not seen' for TV3 and, 'yes, >>> seen" for TV1....!! Dear oh, dear!..What will she say to TV2 and TV4? >>> >> >> Interesting isn't it? Denied any knowlege of it at all on Morning >> report today too. >> >> >> > > Just goes to show that you should be careful with all of political > sleeszebags.....Crooks, mostly! Or how gullible you are to believe some misquote on an anonymous newsgroup. Christiaan
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: "Rupert"
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 14:23
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 14:23
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Given that Nicky Hager wrote this, it's probably as reliable as all his other paranoid fantasys - one wonders if this is all rubbish and in a few days it will all be proved false? "Christiaan Briggs" <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote in message news:B9512175.ACE8%cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz... > Helen Clark is in the provinces campaigning and is unavailable for > questioning..... > > http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0207/S00068.htm > > Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup > Wednesday, 10 July 2002, 10:02 am > Press Release: Nicky Hager - Researcher > > News release 10 July 2002 > > New book tells the story of GE contamination coverup > > > Prime Minister Helen Clark and a few key Ministers of the Labour-Alliance > Government kept a large accidental release of genetically engineered (GE) > sweet corn plants secret and allowed them to be grown, harvested and sold to > New Zealanders and export markets. > > The detailed story of GE contaminated sweet corn crops, and subsequent > efforts to hide the story from the public, most of Cabinet and the Royal > Commission on Genetic Modification, is revealed today with the release of > Nicky Hager¹s new book, OSeeds of Distrust¹. > > The book documents how in November 2000, in the middle of the Royal > Commission, the Government learned that a 5.6 tonne consignment of sweet > corn seeds from the United States had been found to be contaminated with GE > sweet corn seeds. By the time Helen Clark and Environment Minister Marian > Hobbs were told, thousands of GE sweet corn plants were growing in three > regions of New Zealand Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and Blenheim and over half > the seeds were still due to be planted that season (including 1000kg > supplied to a seed supplier in Timaru). > > While Hobbs was designated Olead Minister¹, Helen Clark took control of the > issue and moved hour-by-hour management of the issue into the Department of > the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Strict secrecy was imposed. > > Initially Clark instructed that, whatever the precise actions taken, her > Obottom line¹ was that the contaminated crops must be pulled out. Officials > began urgent work to draft a special regulation, passed by Cabinet soon > after, to provide the necessary powers to order destruction of the crops. > They made preparations for a public announcement about the crops and the > actions being taken to remove them. > > Then two things happened. First, concerted business lobbying began, led by > Norrey Simmons of the PR company Communications Trumps, who represented the > multinational seed company, Novartis. She and other PR representatives > (Heinz Wattie, Talley¹s and Cedenco had planted the seeds) were regularly > consulted during the decision making. At the same time, the Ministers > involved realised that, contrary to what they had expected, the story had > not leaked to the news media. The option of hushing it up presented itself. > > Helen Clark reversed her earlier bottom line. The option of destroying the > crops was dropped, the sweet corn was left to grow and approval was given > for the rest of the seeds to be planted out. At least 5 tonnes of pure GE > corn was processed (the equivalent of about 10,000 cans of corn) as part of > (and mixed into) the harvest of conventional corn. Although most the crops > were in Gisborne and Hawkes Bay, Maori concerns over GE food did not feature > in decision making. The Ministers and officials involved began an elaborate > process of covering up the story. The stages and methods used in the > cover-up are the subject of the book. > > Nicky Hager says that Oalthough the context is a story about genetic > engineering, this is primarily a book about government and democracy. The > story shows what happens when leaders try to control controversial issues > using secrecy, PR and political management.¹ > > OMy last book, before the 1999 election, was about a National Government > that had become complacent and arrogant in the way it treated the public and > constitutional processes. This book is about the present Government being at > risk of going the same way.¹ > > OThe book is relevant to current debates about the reliability and > trustworthiness of the processes controlling genetic engineering. In this > story, the largest known release of genetically engineered plants into the > New Zealand environment, the Government did not even refer the issue to the > Environmental Risk Management Authority. The laws and processes for handling > GE organisms, the ones we are told are very strict and cautious, were simply > by-passed. Instead the Government made ad hoc policy decisions that ignored > entirely the laws and proper procedures.¹ > > The key Ministers who have been reassuring the public over the strict, > precautionary processes in place for genetic engineering, all know about the > contaminated sweet corn case. Not only did they make the decisions, they > actively misled the Royal Commission about the incident, possibly > contributing to the Royal Commission¹s conclusion that existing safeguards > are reliable. > > There were two main arguments used within government to justify the sweet > corn decision at the time. Both were put to the Government by the companies > involved. The first was that GE seed contamination was Oinevitable¹, and > that New Zealand should be a Oworld-leader¹ in setting Oacceptable¹ levels > of contamination. The Government did this, agreeing any contamination of > less than 0.5% content of GE seeds in crops would be allowed a policy > which was immediately used to retrospectively Odeem¹ the contaminated crops > as being OGE free¹ so they could be left in the ground. > > Significantly, as soon as the contaminated sweet corn incident was safely in > the past, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry reviewed this policy (in > May 2002) and concluded that GE seed contamination was not inevitable and > that there should be Ozero tolerance¹ of GE contamination. The report > argued: [An] option being discussed internationally is to allow the > unintended presence of low levels of GM seeds below a certain threshold. > This approach is not feasible Sbecause it would allow GM seeds to enter New > Zealand even if they were detected, if they were at levels below the > threshold. This would undermine the approval process for GM organisms. Yet > when it was pragmatic for Osolving¹ the sweet corn crisis, precisely this > threshold system had been adopted. > > The other argument used to justify the decisions was that, although there > had been several positive results showing GE seeds in the batch of Novartis > seeds, a Ofurther detailed assessment¹ suggested that there was no reliably > detectable contamination present. However, Nicky Hager was shown a copy of > the Odetailed assessment¹ that was done. All that the government scientist > had been asked to check was whether the contamination results were under the > newly adopted 0.5% threshold. He did not say there was no contamination nor > that it was not reliably detectable. Moreover, he pointed out that if there > was any doubt, the tests could just be rerun. But no follow up testing was > done. > > The scientist¹s conservative estimate was 0.04% contamination, amounting to > about 15,000 GE sweet corn plants in the environment. When his results were > subsequently reviewed by two members of the ERMA board (in a highly critical > report about the sweet corn decisions that Nicky Hager obtained for the > book), they estimated that the number of GE sweet corn plants was more > likely to be about 30,000. > > The contaminated crops were quietly processed and sold to the public during > the year 2001. The same Otolerable GE contamination¹ policy applied for the > 2001-2002 growing season, so questions remain over the GE content of this > year¹s corn crops. Although one shipment of corn for poultry feed was > rejected as being above the 0.5% threshhold, and one small (2.7kg) sweet > corn seed parcel was rejected, it is not known if other batches with > contamination were detected but allowed in because of the arbitrary 0.5% > threshold. > > Nicky Hager says that the book raises three issues. OFirst is the importance > of the public being able to trust decision-makers in contentious issues like > genetic engineering. Helen Clark has spoken of the importance of Ohonesty, > openness and integrity¹ underpinning New Zealand¹s reputation for > trustworthy food production. As the book asks, Why should New Zealanders > trust government and company assurances about a new technology like genetic > engineering if, when something goes wrong, it is cleverly hushed up?¹ > > OThe second issue is that government secrecy and PR tactics serve private > lobbyists well but undermine democratic government. The third concerns the > constant ridicule of critics of GE we are witnessing in the news media. This > needs to be recognised for what it is: a PR tactic orchestrated by GE > interests. The Government and GE interests cannot silence potential critical > voices and cover up things that go wrong and then claim that public > suspicion about genetic engineering is irrational.¹ > > OWhen I stumbled across the story and began to research and write it, the > issues of genetic engineering and integrity of government processes were > relatively quiet. During the months since, a snap election was called and > these two issues have become very prominent. I have mixed feelings about > releasing the book at such a controversial time. However, if I had put it > off until after the election, I would in a way be participating in the > cover-up myself. I decided the public has a right to know.¹ > > The books are on sale from 9am Wednesday, 10 July 2002. > > >
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: Christiaan Brigg
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 14:43
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 14:43
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Kerry wrote: > On Wed, 10 Jul 2002 14:08:45 +0100, Christiaan Briggs > <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote: > >> John Smith wrote: >> >>> >>> "Kerry" <kerryd@remove.this.bit.ihug.co.nz> wrote in message >>> news:3d2c2e41.50972694@news.wlg.ihug.co.nz... >>>> On Thu, 11 Jul 2002 00:19:33 +1200, "John Smith" <tango4rus@yahoo.com> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>>> >>>>> "Kerry" <kerryd@remove.this.bit.ihug.co.nz> wrote in message >>>>> news:3d2c1a16.45810401@news.wlg.ihug.co.nz... >>>>>> On 10 Jul 2002 19:52:39 +1200, "Craig Harris" <mossman@clear.net.nz> >>>> >>>>>>> Watching her on TV3 was fun. She claimed she had not seen any of the >>>>>>> documentation referred to in Hager's book. >>>>>> >>>>>> Well on TV1 tonight she had the book, explained she was familiar with >>>>>> the documentation, and talked to Hobbs about it 18 months ago >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> Kerry, come again..?...How can Jeannete say 'Not seen' for TV3 and, 'yes, >>>>> seen" for TV1....!! Dear oh, dear!..What will she say to TV2 and TV4? >>>>> >>>> >>>> Interesting isn't it? Denied any knowlege of it at all on Morning >>>> report today too. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >>> Just goes to show that you should be careful with all of political >>> sleeszebags.....Crooks, mostly! >> >> Or how gullible you are to believe some misquote on an anonymous newsgroup. >> >> Christiaan >> > > What the interactions shows, up until the point of your contribution > Christiaan...is that there is a complete deficit of gullibility here. How so? I didn't make any claim as to what anyone did or said. Christiaan
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: "John Smith"
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 15:21
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 15:21
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"Daniel Silva" <daniel@NOSPAMsilva.co.nz> wrote in message news:lKLW8.5623$7G4.875772@news.xtra.co.nz... > Christiaan Briggs <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote in message > news:B9512175.ACE8%cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz... > > > Helen Clark is in the provinces campaigning and is unavailable for > > questioning..... > > > > http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0207/S00068.htm > > > > Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup > > Wednesday, 10 July 2002, 10:02 am > > Press Release: Nicky Hager - Researcher > > Miss Clark is a liar, unfit to hold high public office. However, before you > get too excited, note the claims that Janette Fitzimmons knew all about the > deception too: > http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0207/S00113.htm > > > Interesting that Janette Fitzimmons now says she is SHOCKED !!......Someone somewhere is not telling the truth!......Funny how, where there are pollies, there is often lots of shit and a fan that gets hit with it.
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: kdavies@ihug.co.
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 16:51
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 16:51
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Steve <steve@nospam.org.nz> wrote in message news:<3D2C4A8A.2080402@nospam.org.nz>... > LeftAintRight wrote: > > Nick Hagar - isn't he the idiot who said the terrorists who flew the > > planes into the WTC were, in a way, "heroes"? > > If we were to compare Nicky Hagar's integrity with your anonymous and > gross mis-quote above......he is a the clear winner. > > You're....a loser. Now, now, don't get shitty. You don't like it when people (eg RB) call you names so don't do it yourself. Here's the reference to the article: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?thesection=Story&thesubsection=&storyID!7989&reportIDa564 "Calling the attackers terrorists, fanatics and cowards gets in the way of understanding. Cowards? They were appallingly brave soldiers fighting what they see - not without cause - as a violent and unjust empire. " OK, so he didn't exactly call the terrorist "heroes" (I was going on memory). He called them "brave soldiers". Same diff. Anyway, if you want I can change my post to say: Nick Hagar - isn't he the idiot who said the terrorists who flew the planes into the WTC were "appalling brave soldiers fighting what they see - not without cause - as a violent and unjust empire." Doesn't make any difference to me.
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: TomV
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 19:38
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 19:38
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On Wed, 10 Jul 2002 15:21:16 +1200, "John Smith" <tango4rus@yahoo.com> wrote: >Interesting that Janette Fitzimmons now says she is SHOCKED !!......Someone >somewhere is not telling the truth!......Funny how, where there are pollies, >there is often lots of shit and a fan that gets hit with it. Shocked that she has been found out I think. ..tom
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: "Craig Harris"
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 19:52
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 19:52
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TomV <tomv@ihug.blahblah.co.nz> wrote in article <m3pniu8o9f1jrl64e865pset41uc3f291j@4ax.com>... > On Wed, 10 Jul 2002 15:21:16 +1200, "John Smith" <tango4rus@yahoo.com> > wrote: > > >Interesting that Janette Fitzimmons now says she is SHOCKED !!......Someone > >somewhere is not telling the truth!......Funny how, where there are pollies, > >there is often lots of shit and a fan that gets hit with it. > > Shocked that she has been found out I think. > > ...tom Watching her on TV3 was fun. She claimed she had not seen any of the documentation referred to in Hager's book. Of course she didn't say whether or not she had asked for it. Is she so trusting as to take the word of a Minister and not ask for a briefing from officials on the matter? Opposition MPs are briefed by officials all the time. All she had to do is ask. If the Govt had said no then that would have raised her suspisions. Instead she was happy to let the government handle the matter. Not really the actions of someone claiming to be a champion of the anti-GE campaign.
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: "John Smith"
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 21:25
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 21:25
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"Christiaan Briggs" <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote in message news:B9512175.ACE8%cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz... > Helen Clark is in the provinces campaigning and is unavailable for > questioning..... > > http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0207/S00068.htm > > Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup > Wednesday, 10 July 2002, 10:02 am > Press Release: Nicky Hager - Researcher > > News release 10 July 2002 > > New book tells the story of GE contamination coverup > > > Prime Minister Helen Clark and a few key Ministers of the Labour-Alliance > Government kept a large accidental release of genetically engineered (GE) > sweet corn plants secret and allowed them to be grown, harvested and sold to > New Zealanders and export markets. > > The detailed story of GE contaminated sweet corn crops, and subsequent > efforts to hide the story from the public, most of Cabinet and the Royal > Commission on Genetic Modification, is revealed today with the release of > Nicky Hager¹s new book, OSeeds of Distrust¹. > > The book documents how in November 2000, in the middle of the Royal > Commission, the Government learned that a 5.6 tonne consignment of sweet > corn seeds from the United States had been found to be contaminated with GE > sweet corn seeds. By the time Helen Clark and Environment Minister Marian > Hobbs were told, thousands of GE sweet corn plants were growing in three > regions of New Zealand Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and Blenheim and over half > the seeds were still due to be planted that season (including 1000kg > supplied to a seed supplier in Timaru). > > While Hobbs was designated Olead Minister¹, Helen Clark took control of the > issue and moved hour-by-hour management of the issue into the Department of > the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Strict secrecy was imposed. > > Initially Clark instructed that, whatever the precise actions taken, her > Obottom line¹ was that the contaminated crops must be pulled out. Officials > began urgent work to draft a special regulation, passed by Cabinet soon > after, to provide the necessary powers to order destruction of the crops. > They made preparations for a public announcement about the crops and the > actions being taken to remove them. > > Then two things happened. First, concerted business lobbying began, led by > Norrey Simmons of the PR company Communications Trumps, who represented the > multinational seed company, Novartis. She and other PR representatives > (Heinz Wattie, Talley¹s and Cedenco had planted the seeds) were regularly > consulted during the decision making. At the same time, the Ministers > involved realised that, contrary to what they had expected, the story had > not leaked to the news media. The option of hushing it up presented itself. > > Helen Clark reversed her earlier bottom line. The option of destroying the > crops was dropped, the sweet corn was left to grow and approval was given > for the rest of the seeds to be planted out. At least 5 tonnes of pure GE > corn was processed (the equivalent of about 10,000 cans of corn) as part of > (and mixed into) the harvest of conventional corn. Although most the crops > were in Gisborne and Hawkes Bay, Maori concerns over GE food did not feature > in decision making. The Ministers and officials involved began an elaborate > process of covering up the story. The stages and methods used in the > cover-up are the subject of the book. > > Nicky Hager says that Oalthough the context is a story about genetic > engineering, this is primarily a book about government and democracy. The > story shows what happens when leaders try to control controversial issues > using secrecy, PR and political management.¹ > > OMy last book, before the 1999 election, was about a National Government > that had become complacent and arrogant in the way it treated the public and > constitutional processes. This book is about the present Government being at > risk of going the same way.¹ > > OThe book is relevant to current debates about the reliability and > trustworthiness of the processes controlling genetic engineering. In this > story, the largest known release of genetically engineered plants into the > New Zealand environment, the Government did not even refer the issue to the > Environmental Risk Management Authority. The laws and processes for handling > GE organisms, the ones we are told are very strict and cautious, were simply > by-passed. Instead the Government made ad hoc policy decisions that ignored > entirely the laws and proper procedures.¹ > > The key Ministers who have been reassuring the public over the strict, > precautionary processes in place for genetic engineering, all know about the > contaminated sweet corn case. Not only did they make the decisions, they > actively misled the Royal Commission about the incident, possibly > contributing to the Royal Commission¹s conclusion that existing safeguards > are reliable. > > There were two main arguments used within government to justify the sweet > corn decision at the time. Both were put to the Government by the companies > involved. The first was that GE seed contamination was Oinevitable¹, and > that New Zealand should be a Oworld-leader¹ in setting Oacceptable¹ levels > of contamination. The Government did this, agreeing any contamination of > less than 0.5% content of GE seeds in crops would be allowed a policy > which was immediately used to retrospectively Odeem¹ the contaminated crops > as being OGE free¹ so they could be left in the ground. > > Significantly, as soon as the contaminated sweet corn incident was safely in > the past, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry reviewed this policy (in > May 2002) and concluded that GE seed contamination was not inevitable and > that there should be Ozero tolerance¹ of GE contamination. The report > argued: [An] option being discussed internationally is to allow the > unintended presence of low levels of GM seeds below a certain threshold. > This approach is not feasible Sbecause it would allow GM seeds to enter New > Zealand even if they were detected, if they were at levels below the > threshold. This would undermine the approval process for GM organisms. Yet > when it was pragmatic for Osolving¹ the sweet corn crisis, precisely this > threshold system had been adopted. > > The other argument used to justify the decisions was that, although there > had been several positive results showing GE seeds in the batch of Novartis > seeds, a Ofurther detailed assessment¹ suggested that there was no reliably > detectable contamination present. However, Nicky Hager was shown a copy of > the Odetailed assessment¹ that was done. All that the government scientist > had been asked to check was whether the contamination results were under the > newly adopted 0.5% threshold. He did not say there was no contamination nor > that it was not reliably detectable. Moreover, he pointed out that if there > was any doubt, the tests could just be rerun. But no follow up testing was > done. > > The scientist¹s conservative estimate was 0.04% contamination, amounting to > about 15,000 GE sweet corn plants in the environment. When his results were > subsequently reviewed by two members of the ERMA board (in a highly critical > report about the sweet corn decisions that Nicky Hager obtained for the > book), they estimated that the number of GE sweet corn plants was more > likely to be about 30,000. > > The contaminated crops were quietly processed and sold to the public during > the year 2001. The same Otolerable GE contamination¹ policy applied for the > 2001-2002 growing season, so questions remain over the GE content of this > year¹s corn crops. Although one shipment of corn for poultry feed was > rejected as being above the 0.5% threshhold, and one small (2.7kg) sweet > corn seed parcel was rejected, it is not known if other batches with > contamination were detected but allowed in because of the arbitrary 0.5% > threshold. > > Nicky Hager says that the book raises three issues. OFirst is the importance > of the public being able to trust decision-makers in contentious issues like > genetic engineering. Helen Clark has spoken of the importance of Ohonesty, > openness and integrity¹ underpinning New Zealand¹s reputation for > trustworthy food production. As the book asks, Why should New Zealanders > trust government and company assurances about a new technology like genetic > engineering if, when something goes wrong, it is cleverly hushed up?¹ > > OThe second issue is that government secrecy and PR tactics serve private > lobbyists well but undermine democratic government. The third concerns the > constant ridicule of critics of GE we are witnessing in the news media. This > needs to be recognised for what it is: a PR tactic orchestrated by GE > interests. The Government and GE interests cannot silence potential critical > voices and cover up things that go wrong and then claim that public > suspicion about genetic engineering is irrational.¹ > > OWhen I stumbled across the story and began to research and write it, the > issues of genetic engineering and integrity of government processes were > relatively quiet. During the months since, a snap election was called and > these two issues have become very prominent. I have mixed feelings about > releasing the book at such a controversial time. However, if I had put it > off until after the election, I would in a way be participating in the > cover-up myself. I decided the public has a right to know.¹ > > The books are on sale from 9am Wednesday, 10 July 2002. > > > What bothers me about the book is the fact that the author did not interview the PM, or Marion Hobbs or Jeannette Fitz Etc .... So, was he after the truth or simply wanting to sensationalise to make LOTS of money??!
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: barryp@es.co.nz
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 21:40
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 21:40
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On Thu, 11 Jul 2002 07:37:53 +1200, TomV <tomv@ihug.blahblah.co.nz> wrote: >On Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:41:50 +1200, Steve <steve@nospam.org.nz> wrote: > >>> Interesting that Janette Fitzimmons now says she is SHOCKED !!......Someone >>> somewhere is not telling the truth!......Funny how, where there are pollies, >>> there is often lots of shit and a fan that gets hit with it. >> >>Jeanette did not know. She and the Greens would gain far more from >>speaking out than remaining silent....There is no way she knew. > >So what did she think Hobbs was talking about 18 months ago? > >...tom What was said 18 months ago (from the ODT) Ms Hobbs said in a statement that initial testing suggested there might be minute traces of GE content. But a more detailed evaluation concluded with a high degree of confidence that, "if present at all, the GE material was at levels below that which can be reliably detected". Instead, the Government plans on tolerating a low level of accidental contamination, such as 0.5% in shipments of maize and sweetcorn seed, in a sampling a testing system to start in March. At the time everybody (including the Greens) believed that that was the best level that could be achieved. (ie <0.5% was effectively 0). Since then the allowable level has been dropped to 0. A single positive seed will be enough to reject the shipment. In retrospect the Greens could have (perhaps should have) realised the implications. If there is proof that they saw the actual test results then you can criticise her for knowing and not saying, but without such proof you are only criticising her for not making the connection. -------- Barry Phease mailto:barryp@es.co.nz" http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~barryp"
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: "John Smith"
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 22:27
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 22:27
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"John Smith" <tango4rus@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:agguif$tsp$1@lust.ihug.co.nz... > > "Christiaan Briggs" <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote in message > news:B9512175.ACE8%cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz... > > Helen Clark is in the provinces campaigning and is unavailable for > > questioning..... > > > > http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0207/S00068.htm > > > > Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup > > Wednesday, 10 July 2002, 10:02 am > > Press Release: Nicky Hager - Researcher > > > > News release 10 July 2002 > > > > New book tells the story of GE contamination coverup > > > > > > Prime Minister Helen Clark and a few key Ministers of the Labour-Alliance > > Government kept a large accidental release of genetically engineered (GE) > > sweet corn plants secret and allowed them to be grown, harvested and sold > to > > New Zealanders and export markets. > > > > The detailed story of GE contaminated sweet corn crops, and subsequent > > efforts to hide the story from the public, most of Cabinet and the Royal > > Commission on Genetic Modification, is revealed today with the release of > > Nicky Hager¹s new book, OSeeds of Distrust¹. > > > > The book documents how in November 2000, in the middle of the Royal > > Commission, the Government learned that a 5.6 tonne consignment of sweet > > corn seeds from the United States had been found to be contaminated with > GE > > sweet corn seeds. By the time Helen Clark and Environment Minister Marian > > Hobbs were told, thousands of GE sweet corn plants were growing in three > > regions of New Zealand Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and Blenheim and over half > > the seeds were still due to be planted that season (including 1000kg > > supplied to a seed supplier in Timaru). > > > > While Hobbs was designated Olead Minister¹, Helen Clark took control of > the > > issue and moved hour-by-hour management of the issue into the Department > of > > the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Strict secrecy was imposed. > > > > Initially Clark instructed that, whatever the precise actions taken, her > > Obottom line¹ was that the contaminated crops must be pulled out. > Officials > > began urgent work to draft a special regulation, passed by Cabinet soon > > after, to provide the necessary powers to order destruction of the crops. > > They made preparations for a public announcement about the crops and the > > actions being taken to remove them. > > > > Then two things happened. First, concerted business lobbying began, led by > > Norrey Simmons of the PR company Communications Trumps, who represented > the > > multinational seed company, Novartis. She and other PR representatives > > (Heinz Wattie, Talley¹s and Cedenco had planted the seeds) were regularly > > consulted during the decision making. At the same time, the Ministers > > involved realised that, contrary to what they had expected, the story had > > not leaked to the news media. The option of hushing it up presented > itself. > > > > Helen Clark reversed her earlier bottom line. The option of destroying the > > crops was dropped, the sweet corn was left to grow and approval was given > > for the rest of the seeds to be planted out. At least 5 tonnes of pure GE > > corn was processed (the equivalent of about 10,000 cans of corn) as part > of > > (and mixed into) the harvest of conventional corn. Although most the crops > > were in Gisborne and Hawkes Bay, Maori concerns over GE food did not > feature > > in decision making. The Ministers and officials involved began an > elaborate > > process of covering up the story. The stages and methods used in the > > cover-up are the subject of the book. > > > > Nicky Hager says that Oalthough the context is a story about genetic > > engineering, this is primarily a book about government and democracy. The > > story shows what happens when leaders try to control controversial issues > > using secrecy, PR and political management.¹ > > > > OMy last book, before the 1999 election, was about a National Government > > that had become complacent and arrogant in the way it treated the public > and > > constitutional processes. This book is about the present Government being > at > > risk of going the same way.¹ > > > > OThe book is relevant to current debates about the reliability and > > trustworthiness of the processes controlling genetic engineering. In this > > story, the largest known release of genetically engineered plants into the > > New Zealand environment, the Government did not even refer the issue to > the > > Environmental Risk Management Authority. The laws and processes for > handling > > GE organisms, the ones we are told are very strict and cautious, were > simply > > by-passed. Instead the Government made ad hoc policy decisions that > ignored > > entirely the laws and proper procedures.¹ > > > > The key Ministers who have been reassuring the public over the strict, > > precautionary processes in place for genetic engineering, all know about > the > > contaminated sweet corn case. Not only did they make the decisions, they > > actively misled the Royal Commission about the incident, possibly > > contributing to the Royal Commission¹s conclusion that existing safeguards > > are reliable. > > > > There were two main arguments used within government to justify the sweet > > corn decision at the time. Both were put to the Government by the > companies > > involved. The first was that GE seed contamination was Oinevitable¹, and > > that New Zealand should be a Oworld-leader¹ in setting Oacceptable¹ levels > > of contamination. The Government did this, agreeing any contamination of > > less than 0.5% content of GE seeds in crops would be allowed a policy > > which was immediately used to retrospectively Odeem¹ the contaminated > crops > > as being OGE free¹ so they could be left in the ground. > > > > Significantly, as soon as the contaminated sweet corn incident was safely > in > > the past, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry reviewed this policy > (in > > May 2002) and concluded that GE seed contamination was not inevitable and > > that there should be Ozero tolerance¹ of GE contamination. The report > > argued: [An] option being discussed internationally is to allow the > > unintended presence of low levels of GM seeds below a certain threshold. > > This approach is not feasible Sbecause it would allow GM seeds to enter > New > > Zealand even if they were detected, if they were at levels below the > > threshold. This would undermine the approval process for GM organisms. Yet > > when it was pragmatic for Osolving¹ the sweet corn crisis, precisely this > > threshold system had been adopted. > > > > The other argument used to justify the decisions was that, although there > > had been several positive results showing GE seeds in the batch of > Novartis > > seeds, a Ofurther detailed assessment¹ suggested that there was no > reliably > > detectable contamination present. However, Nicky Hager was shown a copy of > > the Odetailed assessment¹ that was done. All that the government scientist > > had been asked to check was whether the contamination results were under > the > > newly adopted 0.5% threshold. He did not say there was no contamination > nor > > that it was not reliably detectable. Moreover, he pointed out that if > there > > was any doubt, the tests could just be rerun. But no follow up testing was > > done. > > > > The scientist¹s conservative estimate was 0.04% contamination, amounting > to > > about 15,000 GE sweet corn plants in the environment. When his results > were > > subsequently reviewed by two members of the ERMA board (in a highly > critical > > report about the sweet corn decisions that Nicky Hager obtained for the > > book), they estimated that the number of GE sweet corn plants was more > > likely to be about 30,000. > > > > The contaminated crops were quietly processed and sold to the public > during > > the year 2001. The same Otolerable GE contamination¹ policy applied for > the > > 2001-2002 growing season, so questions remain over the GE content of this > > year¹s corn crops. Although one shipment of corn for poultry feed was > > rejected as being above the 0.5% threshhold, and one small (2.7kg) sweet > > corn seed parcel was rejected, it is not known if other batches with > > contamination were detected but allowed in because of the arbitrary 0.5% > > threshold. > > > > Nicky Hager says that the book raises three issues. OFirst is the > importance > > of the public being able to trust decision-makers in contentious issues > like > > genetic engineering. Helen Clark has spoken of the importance of Ohonesty, > > openness and integrity¹ underpinning New Zealand¹s reputation for > > trustworthy food production. As the book asks, Why should New Zealanders > > trust government and company assurances about a new technology like > genetic > > engineering if, when something goes wrong, it is cleverly hushed up?¹ > > > > OThe second issue is that government secrecy and PR tactics serve private > > lobbyists well but undermine democratic government. The third concerns the > > constant ridicule of critics of GE we are witnessing in the news media. > This > > needs to be recognised for what it is: a PR tactic orchestrated by GE > > interests. The Government and GE interests cannot silence potential > critical > > voices and cover up things that go wrong and then claim that public > > suspicion about genetic engineering is irrational.¹ > > > > OWhen I stumbled across the story and began to research and write it, the > > issues of genetic engineering and integrity of government processes were > > relatively quiet. During the months since, a snap election was called and > > these two issues have become very prominent. I have mixed feelings about > > releasing the book at such a controversial time. However, if I had put it > > off until after the election, I would in a way be participating in the > > cover-up myself. I decided the public has a right to know.¹ > > > > The books are on sale from 9am Wednesday, 10 July 2002. > > > > > > > > What bothers me about the book is the fact that the author did not interview > the PM, or Marion Hobbs or Jeannette Fitz Etc .... So, was he after the > truth or simply wanting to sensationalise to make LOTS of money??! > > And besides, if he was TRULY concerned, why didn't he make it public as soon as he found out...2 yrs ago or whenever.., instead of waiting, writing, getting it published AND releasing it during election time to help the Green Party ...and ..make money. That is FISHY too!! These guys are crooks, lacking integrityIMO. Dangerous. It stinks! Pretty CORNY!
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: kerryd@remove.th
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 22:42
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 22:42
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On Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:42:51 +1200, Steve <steve@nospam.org.nz> wrote: >TomV wrote: >> On Wed, 10 Jul 2002 15:21:16 +1200, "John Smith" <tango4rus@yahoo.com> >> wrote: >> >> >>>Interesting that Janette Fitzimmons now says she is SHOCKED !!......Someone >>>somewhere is not telling the truth!......Funny how, where there are pollies, >>>there is often lots of shit and a fan that gets hit with it. >> >> >> Shocked that she has been found out I think. >> >> ...tom > >You would....and it is clear you don't think, Tom, as the weks go by. > >Jeanette Fitzsimons did not know about this corn...or words would >certainly have been said aloud. Fisimons said herself on yesterday evenings news that she knew abaout it 18 months ago and went to discuss the matter with Minister Hobbs at that time So she obviously did know about it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No one can be as calculatedly rude as the British, which amazes Americans, who do not understand studied insult and can only offer abuse as a substitute. --Paul Gallico ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: kerryd@remove.th
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 22:44
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 22:44
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On Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:41:50 +1200, Steve <steve@nospam.org.nz> wrote: >John Smith wrote: > >> Interesting that Janette Fitzimmons now says she is SHOCKED !!......Someone >> somewhere is not telling the truth!......Funny how, where there are pollies, >> there is often lots of shit and a fan that gets hit with it. > >Jeanette did not know. She and the Greens would gain far more from >speaking out than remaining silent....There is no way she knew. Steve she has stated that she knew about it back in December 2000, and discussed the issue with Marianne Hobbs ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No one can be as calculatedly rude as the British, which amazes Americans, who do not understand studied insult and can only offer abuse as a substitute. --Paul Gallico ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: kerryd@remove.th
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 22:45
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 22:45
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On Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:40:39 +1200, Steve <steve@nospam.org.nz> wrote: >Daniel Silva wrote: >> Christiaan Briggs <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote in message >> news:B9512175.ACE8%cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz... >> >> >>>Helen Clark is in the provinces campaigning and is unavailable for >>>questioning..... >>> >>>http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0207/S00068.htm >>> >>>Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup >>>Wednesday, 10 July 2002, 10:02 am >>>Press Release: Nicky Hager - Researcher >> >> >> Miss Clark is a liar, unfit to hold high public office. However, before you >> get too excited, note the claims that Janette Fitzimmons knew all about the >> deception too: >> http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0207/S00113.htm > >She didn't.....or there certainly would have been words said at the time. She did. She said she knew on the TV1 news last night. She said she went to discuss it with Marianne Hobbs at that time. She knew Words weren't said Steve ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No one can be as calculatedly rude as the British, which amazes Americans, who do not understand studied insult and can only offer abuse as a substitute. --Paul Gallico ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: kerryd@remove.th
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 22:47
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 22:47
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On Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:52:46 +1200, Steve <steve@nospam.org.nz> wrote: >Rupert wrote: >> Given that Nicky Hager wrote this, it's probably as reliable as all his >> other paranoid fantasys - one wonders if this is all rubbish and in a few >> days it will all be proved false? > > >You've never read his books obviously. He is meticulous with his source >material....and substantiates everthing thatis not clearly flagged as >speculation. Interesting he cut the results of PCR done in the Melbourne laboratories, double blinded studies, that showed no evidence of contamination. That was severed from a page he did reproduce in the book...page 50 I believe ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No one can be as calculatedly rude as the British, which amazes Americans, who do not understand studied insult and can only offer abuse as a substitute. --Paul Gallico ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: kerryd@remove.th
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 22:48
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 22:48
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On Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:55:20 +1200, Steve <steve@nospam.org.nz> wrote: >John Smith wrote: > >......... > >> What bothers me about the book is the fact that the author did not interview >> the PM, or Marion Hobbs or Jeannette Fitz Etc .... So, was he after the >> truth or simply wanting to sensationalise to make LOTS of money??! > >You obviously don't know Mr.Hagar. > >Find out before you embarass yourself further. > Yes yes Steve, you know all these people and admire them But you are defending things that even they aren't defending about themselves Best hold fire > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No one can be as calculatedly rude as the British, which amazes Americans, who do not understand studied insult and can only offer abuse as a substitute. --Paul Gallico ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: John Cawston
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 23:06
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 23:06
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Christiaan Briggs wrote: > Daniel Silva wrote: > > > Christiaan Briggs <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote in message > > news:B9512175.ACE8%cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz... > > > >> Helen Clark is in the provinces campaigning and is unavailable for > >> questioning..... > >> > >> http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0207/S00068.htm > >> > >> Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup > >> Wednesday, 10 July 2002, 10:02 am > >> Press Release: Nicky Hager - Researcher > > > > Miss Clark is a liar, unfit to hold high public office. However, before you > > get too excited, note the claims that Janette Fitzimmons knew all about the > > deception too: > > http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0207/S00113.htm > > Hehe...scrape that barrel fullas. That's where the Green stuff is. JC
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: "Daniel Silva"
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 23:17
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 23:17
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"Christiaan Briggs" <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote in message news:B951B6BB.AE08%cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz... > Daniel Silva wrote: > > > Christiaan Briggs <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote in message > > news:B9512175.ACE8%cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz... > > > >> Helen Clark is in the provinces campaigning and is unavailable for > >> questioning..... > >> > >> http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0207/S00068.htm > >> > >> Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup > >> Wednesday, 10 July 2002, 10:02 am > >> Press Release: Nicky Hager - Researcher > > > > Miss Clark is a liar, unfit to hold high public office. However, before you > > get too excited, note the claims that Janette Fitzimmons knew all about the > > deception too: > > http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0207/S00113.htm > > > Hehe...scrape that barrel fullas. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, huh?
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: "Daniel Silva"
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 23:32
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 23:32
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"Christiaan Briggs" <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote in message news:B951D8DB.AE7A%cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz... > Daniel Silva wrote: > > > "Christiaan Briggs" <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote in message > > news:B951B6BB.AE08%cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz... > >> Daniel Silva wrote: > >> > >>> Christiaan Briggs <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote in message > >>> news:B9512175.ACE8%cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz... > >>> > >>>> Helen Clark is in the provinces campaigning and is unavailable for > >>>> questioning..... > >>>> > >>>> http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0207/S00068.htm > >>>> > >>>> Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup > >>>> Wednesday, 10 July 2002, 10:02 am > >>>> Press Release: Nicky Hager - Researcher > >>> > >>> Miss Clark is a liar, unfit to hold high public office. However, before > > you > >>> get too excited, note the claims that Janette Fitzimmons knew all about > > the > >>> deception too: > >>> http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0207/S00113.htm > >> > >> > >> Hehe...scrape that barrel fullas. > > > > Feeling a bit uncomfortable, huh? > > No just amused that you'd try and implicate Jeanette. Jeanette only knew a > tiny part of the story....but keep digging, it'll keep you occupied. A tiny part? LOL.
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: Gurble
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 23:33
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 23:33
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On Wed, 10 Jul 2002 22:27:02 +1200, "John Smith" <tango4rus@yahoo.com> had this to say: > >"John Smith" <tango4rus@yahoo.com> wrote in message >news:agguif$tsp$1@lust.ihug.co.nz... >> >> "Christiaan Briggs" <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote in message >> news:B9512175.ACE8%cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz... >> > Helen Clark is in the provinces campaigning and is unavailable for >> > questioning..... >> > >> > http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0207/S00068.htm >> > >> > Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup >> > Wednesday, 10 July 2002, 10:02 am >> > Press Release: Nicky Hager - Researcher >> > >> > News release 10 July 2002 >> > >> > New book tells the story of GE contamination coverup >> > >> > >> > Prime Minister Helen Clark and a few key Ministers of the >Labour-Alliance >> > Government kept a large accidental release of genetically engineered >(GE) >> > sweet corn plants secret and allowed them to be grown, harvested and >sold >> to >> > New Zealanders and export markets. >> > >> > The detailed story of GE contaminated sweet corn crops, and subsequent >> > efforts to hide the story from the public, most of Cabinet and the Royal >> > Commission on Genetic Modification, is revealed today with the release >of >> > Nicky Hager¹s new book, OSeeds of Distrust¹. >> > >> > The book documents how in November 2000, in the middle of the Royal >> > Commission, the Government learned that a 5.6 tonne consignment of sweet >> > corn seeds from the United States had been found to be contaminated with >> GE >> > sweet corn seeds. By the time Helen Clark and Environment Minister >Marian >> > Hobbs were told, thousands of GE sweet corn plants were growing in three >> > regions of New Zealand Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and Blenheim and over >half >> > the seeds were still due to be planted that season (including 1000kg >> > supplied to a seed supplier in Timaru). >> > >> > While Hobbs was designated Olead Minister¹, Helen Clark took control of >> the >> > issue and moved hour-by-hour management of the issue into the Department >> of >> > the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Strict secrecy was imposed. >> > >> > Initially Clark instructed that, whatever the precise actions taken, her >> > Obottom line¹ was that the contaminated crops must be pulled out. >> Officials >> > began urgent work to draft a special regulation, passed by Cabinet soon >> > after, to provide the necessary powers to order destruction of the >crops. >> > They made preparations for a public announcement about the crops and the >> > actions being taken to remove them. >> > >> > Then two things happened. First, concerted business lobbying began, led >by >> > Norrey Simmons of the PR company Communications Trumps, who represented >> the >> > multinational seed company, Novartis. She and other PR representatives >> > (Heinz Wattie, Talley¹s and Cedenco had planted the seeds) were >regularly >> > consulted during the decision making. At the same time, the Ministers >> > involved realised that, contrary to what they had expected, the story >had >> > not leaked to the news media. The option of hushing it up presented >> itself. >> > >> > Helen Clark reversed her earlier bottom line. The option of destroying >the >> > crops was dropped, the sweet corn was left to grow and approval was >given >> > for the rest of the seeds to be planted out. At least 5 tonnes of pure >GE >> > corn was processed (the equivalent of about 10,000 cans of corn) as part >> of >> > (and mixed into) the harvest of conventional corn. Although most the >crops >> > were in Gisborne and Hawkes Bay, Maori concerns over GE food did not >> feature >> > in decision making. The Ministers and officials involved began an >> elaborate >> > process of covering up the story. The stages and methods used in the >> > cover-up are the subject of the book. >> > >> > Nicky Hager says that Oalthough the context is a story about genetic >> > engineering, this is primarily a book about government and democracy. >The >> > story shows what happens when leaders try to control controversial >issues >> > using secrecy, PR and political management.¹ >> > >> > OMy last book, before the 1999 election, was about a National Government >> > that had become complacent and arrogant in the way it treated the public >> and >> > constitutional processes. This book is about the present Government >being >> at >> > risk of going the same way.¹ >> > >> > OThe book is relevant to current debates about the reliability and >> > trustworthiness of the processes controlling genetic engineering. In >this >> > story, the largest known release of genetically engineered plants into >the >> > New Zealand environment, the Government did not even refer the issue to >> the >> > Environmental Risk Management Authority. The laws and processes for >> handling >> > GE organisms, the ones we are told are very strict and cautious, were >> simply >> > by-passed. Instead the Government made ad hoc policy decisions that >> ignored >> > entirely the laws and proper procedures.¹ >> > >> > The key Ministers who have been reassuring the public over the strict, >> > precautionary processes in place for genetic engineering, all know about >> the >> > contaminated sweet corn case. Not only did they make the decisions, they >> > actively misled the Royal Commission about the incident, possibly >> > contributing to the Royal Commission¹s conclusion that existing >safeguards >> > are reliable. >> > >> > There were two main arguments used within government to justify the >sweet >> > corn decision at the time. Both were put to the Government by the >> companies >> > involved. The first was that GE seed contamination was Oinevitable¹, and >> > that New Zealand should be a Oworld-leader¹ in setting Oacceptable¹ >levels >> > of contamination. The Government did this, agreeing any contamination of >> > less than 0.5% content of GE seeds in crops would be allowed a policy >> > which was immediately used to retrospectively Odeem¹ the contaminated >> crops >> > as being OGE free¹ so they could be left in the ground. >> > >> > Significantly, as soon as the contaminated sweet corn incident was >safely >> in >> > the past, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry reviewed this policy >> (in >> > May 2002) and concluded that GE seed contamination was not inevitable >and >> > that there should be Ozero tolerance¹ of GE contamination. The report >> > argued: [An] option being discussed internationally is to allow the >> > unintended presence of low levels of GM seeds below a certain threshold. >> > This approach is not feasible Sbecause it would allow GM seeds to enter >> New >> > Zealand even if they were detected, if they were at levels below the >> > threshold. This would undermine the approval process for GM organisms. >Yet >> > when it was pragmatic for Osolving¹ the sweet corn crisis, precisely >this >> > threshold system had been adopted. >> > >> > The other argument used to justify the decisions was that, although >there >> > had been several positive results showing GE seeds in the batch of >> Novartis >> > seeds, a Ofurther detailed assessment¹ suggested that there was no >> reliably >> > detectable contamination present. However, Nicky Hager was shown a copy >of >> > the Odetailed assessment¹ that was done. All that the government >scientist >> > had been asked to check was whether the contamination results were under >> the >> > newly adopted 0.5% threshold. He did not say there was no contamination >> nor >> > that it was not reliably detectable. Moreover, he pointed out that if >> there >> > was any doubt, the tests could just be rerun. But no follow up testing >was >> > done. >> > >> > The scientist¹s conservative estimate was 0.04% contamination, amounting >> to >> > about 15,000 GE sweet corn plants in the environment. When his results >> were >> > subsequently reviewed by two members of the ERMA board (in a highly >> critical >> > report about the sweet corn decisions that Nicky Hager obtained for the >> > book), they estimated that the number of GE sweet corn plants was more >> > likely to be about 30,000. >> > >> > The contaminated crops were quietly processed and sold to the public >> during >> > the year 2001. The same Otolerable GE contamination¹ policy applied for >> the >> > 2001-2002 growing season, so questions remain over the GE content of >this >> > year¹s corn crops. Although one shipment of corn for poultry feed was >> > rejected as being above the 0.5% threshhold, and one small (2.7kg) sweet >> > corn seed parcel was rejected, it is not known if other batches with >> > contamination were detected but allowed in because of the arbitrary 0.5% >> > threshold. >> > >> > Nicky Hager says that the book raises three issues. OFirst is the >> importance >> > of the public being able to trust decision-makers in contentious issues >> like >> > genetic engineering. Helen Clark has spoken of the importance of >Ohonesty, >> > openness and integrity¹ underpinning New Zealand¹s reputation for >> > trustworthy food production. As the book asks, Why should New Zealanders >> > trust government and company assurances about a new technology like >> genetic >> > engineering if, when something goes wrong, it is cleverly hushed up?¹ >> > >> > OThe second issue is that government secrecy and PR tactics serve >private >> > lobbyists well but undermine democratic government. The third concerns >the >> > constant ridicule of critics of GE we are witnessing in the news media. >> This >> > needs to be recognised for what it is: a PR tactic orchestrated by GE >> > interests. The Government and GE interests cannot silence potential >> critical >> > voices and cover up things that go wrong and then claim that public >> > suspicion about genetic engineering is irrational.¹ >> > >> > OWhen I stumbled across the story and began to research and write it, >the >> > issues of genetic engineering and integrity of government processes were >> > relatively quiet. During the months since, a snap election was called >and >> > these two issues have become very prominent. I have mixed feelings about >> > releasing the book at such a controversial time. However, if I had put >it >> > off until after the election, I would in a way be participating in the >> > cover-up myself. I decided the public has a right to know.¹ >> > >> > The books are on sale from 9am Wednesday, 10 July 2002. >> > >> > >> > >> >> What bothers me about the book is the fact that the author did not >interview >> the PM, or Marion Hobbs or Jeannette Fitz Etc .... So, was he after the >> truth or simply wanting to sensationalise to make LOTS of money??! >> >> >And besides, if he was TRULY concerned, why didn't he make it public as soon >as he found out...2 yrs ago or whenever.., instead of waiting, writing, >getting it published AND releasing it during election time to help the Green >Party ...and ..make money. That is FISHY too!! > >These guys are crooks, lacking integrityIMO. Dangerous. >It stinks! Pretty CORNY! > Hi, John. Ever heard of SNIPing?
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: "John Smith"
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 00:19
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 00:19
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"Kerry" <kerryd@remove.this.bit.ihug.co.nz> wrote in message news:3d2c1a16.45810401@news.wlg.ihug.co.nz... > On 10 Jul 2002 19:52:39 +1200, "Craig Harris" <mossman@clear.net.nz> > wrote: > > > > > > >TomV <tomv@ihug.blahblah.co.nz> wrote in article > ><m3pniu8o9f1jrl64e865pset41uc3f291j@4ax.com>... > >> On Wed, 10 Jul 2002 15:21:16 +1200, "John Smith" <tango4rus@yahoo.com> > >> wrote: > >> > >> >Interesting that Janette Fitzimmons now says she is SHOCKED > >!!......Someone > >> >somewhere is not telling the truth!......Funny how, where there are > >pollies, > >> >there is often lots of shit and a fan that gets hit with it. > >> > >> Shocked that she has been found out I think. > >> > >> ...tom > > > >Watching her on TV3 was fun. She claimed she had not seen any of the > >documentation referred to in Hager's book. > > Well on TV1 tonight she had the book, explained she was familiar with > the documentation, and talked to Hobbs about it 18 months ago > > Kerry, come again..?...How can Jeannete say 'Not seen' for TV3 and, 'yes, seen" for TV1....!! Dear oh, dear!..What will she say to TV2 and TV4?
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: "John Smith"
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 01:06
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 01:06
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"Kerry" <kerryd@remove.this.bit.ihug.co.nz> wrote in message news:3d2c2e41.50972694@news.wlg.ihug.co.nz... > On Thu, 11 Jul 2002 00:19:33 +1200, "John Smith" <tango4rus@yahoo.com> > wrote: > > > > >"Kerry" <kerryd@remove.this.bit.ihug.co.nz> wrote in message > >news:3d2c1a16.45810401@news.wlg.ihug.co.nz... > >> On 10 Jul 2002 19:52:39 +1200, "Craig Harris" <mossman@clear.net.nz> > > >> >Watching her on TV3 was fun. She claimed she had not seen any of the > >> >documentation referred to in Hager's book. > >> > >> Well on TV1 tonight she had the book, explained she was familiar with > >> the documentation, and talked to Hobbs about it 18 months ago > >> > >> > >Kerry, come again..?...How can Jeannete say 'Not seen' for TV3 and, 'yes, > >seen" for TV1....!! Dear oh, dear!..What will she say to TV2 and TV4? > > > > Interesting isn't it? Denied any knowlege of it at all on Morning > report today too. > > > Just goes to show that you should be careful with all of political sleeszebags.....Crooks, mostly!
Fitzsimons Suffers Memory Loss Over GM Maize Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: kerryd@remove.th
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:13
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:13
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On Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:42:51 +1200, Steve <steve@nospam.org.nz> wrote: >TomV wrote: >> Shocked that she has been found out I think. >> >> ...tom >Jeanette Fitzsimons did not know about this corn...or words would >certainly have been said aloud. Some Facts About Alleged GM Contamination Of Maize Wednesday, 10 July 2002, 11:15 am Press Release: Life Sciences Network a.. The entire saga was presented to the Royal Commission on GM at its hearings on 1 March 2001 by the Deputy Chairman of ERMA, Dr Oliver Sutherland (pages 59-62). b.. The Co-Leader of the Green Party sat through the entire presentation of evidence by Dr Sutherland c.. The Co-Leader of the Green Party cross-examined ERMAs evidence at length but failed to ask any questions about the situation which she now claims so much surprise and shock at. d.. The LSN was among a number of organisations which was consulted when it was first discovered the shipment of imported maize seed had potentially tested positive for a GM event. e.. The LSN was advised prior to Christmas 2000 that Ministers had informed the leadership of the Green Party about the situation. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I wonder how the Greens can care so much for the planet when they seem to spend so little time on it." Pete Hodgson ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: Steve
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:40
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:40
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Daniel Silva wrote: > Christiaan Briggs <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote in message > news:B9512175.ACE8%cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz... > > >>Helen Clark is in the provinces campaigning and is unavailable for >>questioning..... >> >>http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0207/S00068.htm >> >>Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup >>Wednesday, 10 July 2002, 10:02 am >>Press Release: Nicky Hager - Researcher > > > Miss Clark is a liar, unfit to hold high public office. However, before you > get too excited, note the claims that Janette Fitzimmons knew all about the > deception too: > http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0207/S00113.htm She didn't.....or there certainly would have been words said at the time.
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: Steve
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:41
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:41
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John Smith wrote: > "Daniel Silva" <daniel@NOSPAMsilva.co.nz> wrote in message > news:lKLW8.5623$7G4.875772@news.xtra.co.nz... > >>Christiaan Briggs <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote in message >>news:B9512175.ACE8%cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz... >> >> >>>Helen Clark is in the provinces campaigning and is unavailable for >>>questioning..... >>> >>>http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0207/S00068.htm >>> >>>Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup >>>Wednesday, 10 July 2002, 10:02 am >>>Press Release: Nicky Hager - Researcher >> >>Miss Clark is a liar, unfit to hold high public office. However, before > > you > >>get too excited, note the claims that Janette Fitzimmons knew all about > > the > >>deception too: >>http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0207/S00113.htm ... > Interesting that Janette Fitzimmons now says she is SHOCKED !!......Someone > somewhere is not telling the truth!......Funny how, where there are pollies, > there is often lots of shit and a fan that gets hit with it. Jeanette did not know. She and the Greens would gain far more from speaking out than remaining silent....There is no way she knew.
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: Steve
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:42
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:42
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TomV wrote: > On Wed, 10 Jul 2002 15:21:16 +1200, "John Smith" <tango4rus@yahoo.com> > wrote: > > >>Interesting that Janette Fitzimmons now says she is SHOCKED !!......Someone >>somewhere is not telling the truth!......Funny how, where there are pollies, >>there is often lots of shit and a fan that gets hit with it. > > > Shocked that she has been found out I think. > > ...tom You would....and it is clear you don't think, Tom, as the weks go by. Jeanette Fitzsimons did not know about this corn...or words would certainly have been said aloud.
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: Steve
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:45
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:45
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Christiaan Briggs wrote: ......... > Heard of a concept called context. If there's anything I've learnt on this > group it is that people can be very creative with quoting. > > Christiaan Indeed....They can be both creative *and* selective..... If they bother to quote at all...and I haven't seen any yet. In or out of context.
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: Steve
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:47
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:47
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Kerry wrote: > On Wed, 10 Jul 2002 14:08:45 +0100, Christiaan Briggs > <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote: > > >>John Smith wrote: >> ........ >>> >>>Just goes to show that you should be careful with all of political >>>sleeszebags.....Crooks, mostly! >> >>Or how gullible you are to believe some misquote on an anonymous newsgroup. >> >>Christiaan >> > > > What the interactions shows, up until the point of your contribution > Christiaan...is that there is a complete deficit of gullibility here. > > Well present compnay excepted. I have not seen one thing here that even clearly explained what the issue was......never mind a verbatim quote. Can you be more clear?
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: Steve
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:50
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:50
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Daniel Silva wrote: > "Christiaan Briggs" <cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz> wrote in message > news:B951D8DB.AE7A%cbriggs@nospam.clear.net.nz... > >>Daniel Silva wrote: >> >> >>>> >>>>Hehe...scrape that barrel fullas. >>> >>>Feeling a bit uncomfortable, huh? >> >>No just amused that you'd try and implicate Jeanette. Jeanette only knew a >>tiny part of the story....but keep digging, it'll keep you occupied. > > > A tiny part? LOL. Obviously. Had she known the whole story, she and the rest of the Greens would have had a *field* day!!!!!. This would have been during the Royal Commission on GE....with the Greens strongly opposed to release of GE organisms. Use your head for something other than a hat rack, man THINK!!!!
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: Steve
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:52
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:52
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Rupert wrote: > Given that Nicky Hager wrote this, it's probably as reliable as all his > other paranoid fantasys - one wonders if this is all rubbish and in a few > days it will all be proved false? You've never read his books obviously. He is meticulous with his source material....and substantiates everthing thatis not clearly flagged as speculation. This is why his books cause such a fuss. They ARE credible.
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: Steve
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:54
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:54
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LeftAintRight wrote: > Nick Hagar - isn't he the idiot who said the terrorists who flew the > planes into the WTC were, in a way, "heroes"? If we were to compare Nicky Hagar's integrity with your anonymous and gross mis-quote above......he is a the clear winner. You're....a loser.
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: Steve
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:55
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:55
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John Smith wrote: ........ > What bothers me about the book is the fact that the author did not interview > the PM, or Marion Hobbs or Jeannette Fitz Etc .... So, was he after the > truth or simply wanting to sensationalise to make LOTS of money??! You obviously don't know Mr.Hagar. Find out before you embarass yourself further.
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: Steve
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:57
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:57
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John Smith wrote: .......... > And besides, if he was TRULY concerned, why didn't he make it public as soon > as he found out...2 yrs ago or whenever.., instead of waiting, writing, > getting it published AND releasing it during election time to help the Green > Party ...and ..make money. That is FISHY too!! > > These guys are crooks, lacking integrityIMO. Dangerous. > It stinks! Pretty CORNY! Nicky Hagar's books take a long time because he puts a lot of effort into naking sure he has the proof to back up what he says in them. That is why they create such a fuss. Remember....this is an early election. Can't you think, John?
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: Steve
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:58
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:58
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Gurble wrote: > On Wed, 10 Jul 2002 22:27:02 +1200, "John Smith" <tango4rus@yahoo.com> > had this to say: > .......... >>> >> >>And besides, if he was TRULY concerned, why didn't he make it public as soon >>as he found out...2 yrs ago or whenever.., instead of waiting, writing, >>getting it published AND releasing it during election time to help the Green >>Party ...and ..make money. That is FISHY too!! >> >>These guys are crooks, lacking integrityIMO. Dangerous. >>It stinks! Pretty CORNY! > > Hi, John. > > Ever heard of SNIPing? He'd have to think.....NO CAN DO.
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: TomV
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 07:37
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 07:37
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On Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:42:51 +1200, Steve <steve@nospam.org.nz> wrote: >You would....and it is clear you don't think, Tom, as the weks go by. Debating with you on the GE issue has been illuminating and enjoyable. Please don't go down the road of dickheads like Briggs. >Jeanette Fitzsimons did not know about this corn...or words would >certainly have been said aloud. The Press this morning states that based on papers released yesterday by Hobbs knowledge of the contaminated corn was widespread among "politicians, government officialsand heads of department." Hobbs in a Press release on Dec 19 2000 (Which is before the country gave a fuck) said that a corn shipment "might contain" traces of GE material. Given that 3 seperate tests failed to confirm contamination, that's an appropriate statement to make. If Fitzsimmons was genuinely unaware of this possibly contaminated corn and what happened to it, then she is a naive fool. Personally I think it is more likely that telling people that this country has probably had GE planted informally and accidentally for years would not suit the simplistic message she is trying to garner votes with. Fitzsimmons has spent the last few months trying to claim that we must ban all commercial release of GE because once it is out it can't be put back. Well it is out. It has probably been out for a decade given that we've had plenty of seed imported from the US before GE became a cause celebre. As Colin Espiner commented this mornining "Yesterday the (Green) party was still claiming it was possible to bolt the stable door. They can't have it both ways. Either the horse has bolted,or it is not going to." .Tom
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: TomV
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 07:37
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 07:37
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On Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:41:50 +1200, Steve <steve@nospam.org.nz> wrote: >> Interesting that Janette Fitzimmons now says she is SHOCKED !!......Someone >> somewhere is not telling the truth!......Funny how, where there are pollies, >> there is often lots of shit and a fan that gets hit with it. > >Jeanette did not know. She and the Greens would gain far more from >speaking out than remaining silent....There is no way she knew. So what did she think Hobbs was talking about 18 months ago? ..tom
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: TomV
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 07:40
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 07:40
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On Thu, 11 Jul 2002 02:50:56 +1200, Steve <steve@nospam.org.nz> wrote: >This would have been during the Royal Commission on GE....with the >Greens strongly opposed to release of GE organisms. And knowledge they were already released would make such an absolute position a bit pointless. The release happened under a moratorium that the Greens are trying to build an electoral presence on extending "for ever". It is hardly in their interests for everyone to work out that such a moratorium is pointless because we import seed from GE countries and contamination is virtually impossible to eliminate completely. ..tom
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: Unknown
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 09:55
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 09:55
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Christiaan Briggs wrote: > > Helen Clark is in the provinces campaigning and is unavailable for > questioning..... > > http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0207/S00068.htm > > Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup > Wednesday, 10 July 2002, 10:02 am > Press Release: Nicky Hager - Researcher The book tells a pack of crap about a contaminated sample. SAMPLE. Happens all the time. > News release 10 July 2002 > > New book tells the story of GE contamination coverup > > Prime Minister Helen Clark and a few key Ministers of the Labour-Alliance > Government kept a large accidental release of genetically engineered (GE) > sweet corn plants secret and allowed them to be grown, harvested and sold to > New Zealanders and export markets. > > The detailed story of GE contaminated sweet corn crops, and subsequent > efforts to hide the story from the public, most of Cabinet and the Royal > Commission on Genetic Modification, is revealed today with the release of > Nicky Hager1s new book, Seeds of Distrust1. > > The book documents how in November 2000, in the middle of the Royal > Commission, the Government learned that a 5.6 tonne consignment of sweet > corn seeds from the United States had been found to be contaminated with GE > sweet corn seeds. By the time Helen Clark and Environment Minister Marian > Hobbs were told, thousands of GE sweet corn plants were growing in three > regions of New Zealand Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and Blenheim and over half > the seeds were still due to be planted that season (including 1000kg > supplied to a seed supplier in Timaru). > > While Hobbs was designated lead Minister1, Helen Clark took control of the > issue and moved hour-by-hour management of the issue into the Department of > the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Strict secrecy was imposed. > > Initially Clark instructed that, whatever the precise actions taken, her > bottom line1 was that the contaminated crops must be pulled out. Officials > began urgent work to draft a special regulation, passed by Cabinet soon > after, to provide the necessary powers to order destruction of the crops. > They made preparations for a public announcement about the crops and the > actions being taken to remove them. > > Then two things happened. First, concerted business lobbying began, led by > Norrey Simmons of the PR company Communications Trumps, who represented the > multinational seed company, Novartis. She and other PR representatives > (Heinz Wattie, Talley1s and Cedenco had planted the seeds) were regularly > consulted during the decision making. At the same time, the Ministers > involved realised that, contrary to what they had expected, the story had > not leaked to the news media. The option of hushing it up presented itself. > > Helen Clark reversed her earlier bottom line. The option of destroying the > crops was dropped, the sweet corn was left to grow and approval was given > for the rest of the seeds to be planted out. At least 5 tonnes of pure GE > corn was processed (the equivalent of about 10,000 cans of corn) as part of > (and mixed into) the harvest of conventional corn. Although most the crops > were in Gisborne and Hawkes Bay, Maori concerns over GE food did not feature > in decision making. The Ministers and officials involved began an elaborate > process of covering up the story. The stages and methods used in the > cover-up are the subject of the book. > > Nicky Hager says that although the context is a story about genetic > engineering, this is primarily a book about government and democracy. The > story shows what happens when leaders try to control controversial issues > using secrecy, PR and political management.1 > > My last book, before the 1999 election, was about a National Government > that had become complacent and arrogant in the way it treated the public and > constitutional processes. This book is about the present Government being at > risk of going the same way.1 > > The book is relevant to current debates about the reliability and > trustworthiness of the processes controlling genetic engineering. In this > story, the largest known release of genetically engineered plants into the > New Zealand environment, the Government did not even refer the issue to the > Environmental Risk Management Authority. The laws and processes for handling > GE organisms, the ones we are told are very strict and cautious, were simply > by-passed. Instead the Government made ad hoc policy decisions that ignored > entirely the laws and proper procedures.1 > > The key Ministers who have been reassuring the public over the strict, > precautionary processes in place for genetic engineering, all know about the > contaminated sweet corn case. Not only did they make the decisions, they > actively misled the Royal Commission about the incident, possibly > contributing to the Royal Commission1s conclusion that existing safeguards > are reliable. > > There were two main arguments used within government to justify the sweet > corn decision at the time. Both were put to the Government by the companies > involved. The first was that GE seed contamination was inevitable1, and > that New Zealand should be a world-leader1 in setting acceptable1 levels > of contamination. The Government did this, agreeing any contamination of > less than 0.5% content of GE seeds in crops would be allowed a policy > which was immediately used to retrospectively deem1 the contaminated crops > as being GE free1 so they could be left in the ground. > > Significantly, as soon as the contaminated sweet corn incident was safely in > the past, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry reviewed this policy (in > May 2002) and concluded that GE seed contamination was not inevitable and > that there should be zero tolerance1 of GE contamination. The report > argued: [An] option being discussed internationally is to allow the > unintended presence of low levels of GM seeds below a certain threshold. > This approach is not feasible Sbecause it would allow GM seeds to enter New > Zealand even if they were detected, if they were at levels below the > threshold. This would undermine the approval process for GM organisms. Yet > when it was pragmatic for solving1 the sweet corn crisis, precisely this > threshold system had been adopted. > > The other argument used to justify the decisions was that, although there > had been several positive results showing GE seeds in the batch of Novartis > seeds, a further detailed assessment1 suggested that there was no reliably > detectable contamination present. However, Nicky Hager was shown a copy of > the detailed assessment1 that was done. All that the government scientist > had been asked to check was whether the contamination results were under the > newly adopted 0.5% threshold. He did not say there was no contamination nor > that it was not reliably detectable. Moreover, he pointed out that if there > was any doubt, the tests could just be rerun. But no follow up testing was > done. > > The scientist1s conservative estimate was 0.04% contamination, amounting to > about 15,000 GE sweet corn plants in the environment. When his results were > subsequently reviewed by two members of the ERMA board (in a highly critical > report about the sweet corn decisions that Nicky Hager obtained for the > book), they estimated that the number of GE sweet corn plants was more > likely to be about 30,000. > > The contaminated crops were quietly processed and sold to the public during > the year 2001. The same tolerable GE contamination1 policy applied for the > 2001-2002 growing season, so questions remain over the GE content of this > year1s corn crops. Although one shipment of corn for poultry feed was > rejected as being above the 0.5% threshhold, and one small (2.7kg) sweet > corn seed parcel was rejected, it is not known if other batches with > contamination were detected but allowed in because of the arbitrary 0.5% > threshold. > > Nicky Hager says that the book raises three issues. First is the importance > of the public being able to trust decision-makers in contentious issues like > genetic engineering. Helen Clark has spoken of the importance of honesty, > openness and integrity1 underpinning New Zealand1s reputation for > trustworthy food production. As the book asks, Why should New Zealanders > trust government and company assurances about a new technology like genetic > engineering if, when something goes wrong, it is cleverly hushed up?1 > > The second issue is that government secrecy and PR tactics serve private > lobbyists well but undermine democratic government. The third concerns the > constant ridicule of critics of GE we are witnessing in the news media. This > needs to be recognised for what it is: a PR tactic orchestrated by GE > interests. The Government and GE interests cannot silence potential critical > voices and cover up things that go wrong and then claim that public > suspicion about genetic engineering is irrational.1 > > When I stumbled across the story and began to research and write it, the > issues of genetic engineering and integrity of government processes were > relatively quiet. During the months since, a snap election was called and > these two issues have become very prominent. I have mixed feelings about > releasing the book at such a controversial time. However, if I had put it > off until after the election, I would in a way be participating in the > cover-up myself. I decided the public has a right to know.1 > > The books are on sale from 9am Wednesday, 10 July 2002. -- Owen McShane, Rangiora Road, Northland, NZ See "Straight Thinking On Line" (http://mcshane.orcon.net.nz)
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: "John Smith"
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 11:35
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 11:35
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"Steve" <steve@nospam.org.nz> wrote in message news:3D2C4B9A.6000303@nospam.org.nz... > Gurble wrote: > > On Wed, 10 Jul 2002 22:27:02 +1200, "John Smith" <tango4rus@yahoo.com> > > had this to say: > > > ........... > > >>> > >> > >>And besides, if he was TRULY concerned, why didn't he make it public as soon > >>as he found out...2 yrs ago or whenever.., instead of waiting, writing, > >>getting it published AND releasing it during election time to help the Green > >>Party ...and ..make money. That is FISHY too!! > >> > >>These guys are crooks, lacking integrityIMO. Dangerous. > >>It stinks! Pretty CORNY! > > > > Hi, John. > > > > Ever heard of SNIPing? > > He'd have to think.....NO CAN DO. Steve, you HAVE to comment on almost everything!..You are quite an arrogant bastard, aren't you?
Re: Book Tells The Story of GE Contamination Coverup
Author: "John Smith"
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 11:42
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 11:42
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"Steve" <steve@nospam.org.nz> wrote in message news:3D2C4B67.1010308@nospam.org.nz... > John Smith wrote: > > ........... > > > > And besides, if he was TRULY concerned, why didn't he make it public as soon > > as he found out...2 yrs ago or whenever.., instead of waiting, writing, > > getting it published AND releasing it during election time to help the Green > > Party ...and ..make money. That is FISHY too!! > > > > These guys are crooks, lacking integrityIMO. Dangerous. > > It stinks! Pretty CORNY! > > Nicky Hagar's books take a long time because he puts a lot of effort > into naking sure he has the proof to back up what he says in them. > > That is why they create such a fuss. > > Remember....this is an early election. > > Can't you think, John? Steve, stop being a prick, implying I can't think.You are such an one-eyed, prejudiced, arrogant political spinner, in my view, you have no credibility at all, in your comments. Look, I CAN think and draw the right conclusions!
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