26 May 2002

The Green Party has launched an advertising and poster campaign telling New Zealanders why the party is taking a firm line on genetic engineering and contrasting the different positions of Labour and the Greens.

"It is important that Kiwis understand that if Labour get absolute power at the next election they will allow the release of genetically engineered crops and animals into our environment and food chain from October next year," said Green co-leader Rod Donald.

The Greens have placed half page ads in both Sunday papers today telling voters that this election is their last chance to vote for a GE-Free future.

"If the Labour Party can govern alone after this election our rare GE-Free status will be lost forever. This is a key issue for the Greens and we believe it is also a key issue for New Zealand voters," he said.

Mr Donald said as well as the advertising in today's newspapers the ad is available to be downloaded as a poster from the Green website http://www.greens.org.nz/.

"The Greens have effectively launched their election campaign with their call for voters to reject genetic engineering outside of the lab and vote Green with their party vote," he said.

Mr Donald rejected claims that the Greens are 'wagging the dog'.

"The truth is the opposite. A small minority of pro-GE businesses are trying to dictate our future while the overwhelming majority of Kiwis want to keep New Zealand's environment GE-Free. We are representing the wishes of the majority on this issue.

"The Greens could not support any Government that released genetically engineered crops and organisms into our environment. If the Government needs Green support to form a new Government after the election we will give it on the condition that the moratorium on release stays in place," he said.

"This is not a difficult condition for Labour to meet. The Greens believe Kiwis are proud of our beautiful, GE-Free environment and want to keep it this way. Labour, with Green support, can easily deliver this."

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