Monday 19th Jun 2000
Gerry Eckhoff
Media Release -- Environment
The Greens are subverting the course of democracy with their continued rhetoric on biotechnology issues, said ACT
Agriculture spokesman Gerry Eckhoff.
Today the Greens criticised New Zealand trade officials and diplomats in Canada for distributing a questionnaire to
Canadian scientists on behalf of NZ Lifesciences Network. The questionnaire requested information on how other countries
have handled biotechnology issues.
“How can a Royal Commission reach a balanced decision for New Zealand’s future if the Greens continually censor views
that differ from their own.
“Their record for contradiction is unequalled in Parliament. They espouse pro-cannabis smoking views yet they allocate
Budget money to stop cigarette smokers. They say New Zealanders need to debate the biotechnology issue but they suppress
opposing views..
“Their biggest flip-flop however is their labelling of the NZ Lifesciences Network questionnaire as “a classic
Timberlands-style public relations campaign”. This from the party who orchestrated supermarket pamphlet drops, coined
the term “Franken-food”, and organised a splinter group, the Wild Greens, as a militant protest squad. Shandwick
International would be proud of their public relations record.
“This is clearly a case of the pot calling the kettle black.
“ACT has repeatedly stated that New Zealand’s future lies in science, especially agricultural science. While the pros
and cons of biotechnology are yet to be debated it will be a public tragedy if the Greens successfully spin their
opinion as unbiased, scientific fact.
“The only credibility the Greens are harming with this spurious attack is their own,” said Gerry Eckhoff
For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at
act@parliament.govt.nz.