“Once again the Green Party doesn’t let the truth get in the way of a good story in its attempt to question why Hamilton
City Council has joined the NZ Life Sciences Network,” its Chairman, Dr William Rolleston, said today.
“Ms Fitzsimons and other senior Green Party figures have known for several weeks that Hamilton City joined the Network
to further its economic development strategy to develop an international centre of life sciences excellence in Hamilton
and the Waikato.
“They also know, because of meetings they have held with us and what is available on our website, that the members of
the Life Sciences Network support responsible use of biotechnology. No amount of trying to paint us as a villain will
alter our commitment to ensuring genetically modified organisms are only released into the environment when the
responsible authorities have given approval.
“In the absence of being able to find a factual reason to criticise us the Greens continue to either misrepresent us or
to let their imagination run riot. They persist in trying to stifle any view about genetic modification, which is
different to their own.
“The Greens continue to play the man not the ball. The attack on Hamilton City and the Network does not deal with the
real issue, the one being examined by the Royal Commission which the Green Party claims credit for having established.
“This is another example of the lack of commitment by the Green Party to the democratic right of individuals and
organisations to have views which differ from their own,” concluded Dr Rolleston.