“ERMA is to be congratulated for its very pragmatic approach to the issue of complying with the High Court’s requirement
to reconsider its decision on the application by AgResearch for field trials of transgenic cows,” the Chairman of the
New Zealand Life Sciences Network (Inc), Dr William Rolleston, said today.
“Their decision to deal with the matter expeditiously entirely accords with the public’s wish on this matter and will
give comfort to the scientists and people affected by MS who have been waiting for this research to proceed.
“The High Court explicitly stated it was not necessary for ERMA to go through another public hearing or to receive new
evidence. Despite that, the people who failed to win their substantive arguments the first time are no doubt going to
decry the ERMA decision.”
“ERMA has sent a clear signal to submitters that they don’t have unlimited opportunities to rehearse and revisit
arguments they have already had considered and properly rejected. It is a welcome and refreshing step in the right
direction. We are confident ERMA will do its paper work properly this time,” concluded Dr Rolleston.
Ends