www.checkbiotech.org ; www.raupp.info ; www.czu.cz

Allowing authorities to release genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the
event of an emergency would be too risky, the Greens say.
Parliamentary secretary for health Dr Brett Mason said the Gene Technology
Amendment Bill 2007 would give the health minister the right to release such
organisms on the advice of experts in the event of a GMO release gone wrong.

"This legislation strengthens the Australian government's component of the
gene technology regulatory scheme," he said.

"This scheme protects the health and safety of people and the environment
from any risks that may be posed by genetically modified organisms."

He said the legislation would be enacted with the knowledge that governments
must always be judicious with any release of any GMO into the community.

But Greens Senator Rachel Siewert said her party would oppose the bill
because it would allow the chance of a cure that is far worse than the
original disease.

"As they stand, these provisions would essentially enable the fast-tracking
of potentially untested GMOs ... into the environment which would attempt to
solve an emergency potentially unrelated to GMOs," she told parliament.

"The proposal is to dispense with the full assessment process of the
potential impact of a GMO, not merely to expedite it or to speed up the
process, but to dispense with it in some circumstances.

"We are deeply concerned that this means an unknown, potentially harmful
organism may be released without any fail-safe provisions or any
understanding of how it may interact with other organisms or our
environment."

Senator Siewert said a harmful organism release could create a situation
beyond recall.

"You could possibly be doing this forever without understanding the possible
consequences," she said.

"GMOs released into our environment without proper assessment and testing
may potentially have far-reaching and dangerous and disastrous
consequences."

Labor will support the government's amendment, ensuring it will pass.

[www.smh.com.au]