5 August 2004

Greens Prevent Debate On GM

New Zealand First junior whip Dail Jones has accused the Greens of playing politics over genetic modification by stalling their own Private Members Bill relating to the Moratorium on Genetically Modified Organisms.

Mr Jones pointed out that Parliament completed its debate on Private Members Bills by 8.40pm last night and would have been in a position to debate Ian Ewan-Street’s Genetically Modified Organisms Moratorium Bill but the Greens postponed it.

“New Zealand First supports sending this Bill to a select committee but the Greens have been postponing the debate on it since it was first introduced into Parliament on 6 May 2004.

“The Greens are indulging in an abuse of Parliamentary process in refusing to debate the first reading of their own Bill.

“I will be taking this matter up with the Speaker and members of the Standing Orders Committee, with a view to Standing Orders being changed to limit the time a member can postpone the first reading of a Bill.

“New Zealand First wishes to debate a Genetic Modified Organisms Moratorium urgently, but the Greens are preventing this from happening,” concluded Mr Jones.

ENDS

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