Greens support legal move by Stop Aerial Spraying

The Green Party supports a community group's moves to challenge the legality of the aerial bombardment of Aucklanders with the chemical cocktail Foray 48B, Green Party Biosecurity Spokesperson Ian Ewen-Street said today.

The Auckland group Stop Aerial Spraying today announced it had received a legal opinion from Sir Geoffrey Palmer, which casts doubt over the legality of MAF's painted apple moth aerial spray operation.

Mr Ewen-Street has long argued publicly against the unethical bombardment of a population group with a potentially injurious compound - the contents of which the Government refuses to reveal. Mr Ewen-Street late last year tabled in Parliament a list of the contents of the Canadian spray Foray 48B. The list included about 40 chemicals. Mr Ewen-Street said he found it interesting no-one had come forward to deny these chemicals were included in the New Zealand spray of the same name.

Mr Ewen-Street said he fully agreed with Sir Geoffrey's opinion that there are strong reasons in the public interest that favour disclosure of the ingredients of the spray.

"It is unfair and undemocratic that people suffering allergic reactions to the chemicals in Foray 48B can't even have their health concerns properly investigated, due to the Government's refusal to name the contents," Mr Ewen-Street said. "I also fully endorse Sir Geoffrey's view that local authorities are empowered under the Health Act 1956 to take action against the spray operation, in the interests of protecting public health."

Stop Aerial Spraying commissioned the opinion from Sir Geoffrey to investigate the legal options available to it, in its campaign to stop the aerial spraying of Aucklanders with Foray48B. The group has said it is considering what steps it will take next, now it is armed with a strong legal opinion concurring with its concerns for public health.

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