Agriculture Minister on public right to know: “I am not giving any undertakings regarding a question from you on this matter" - 2 April 2008

As allegations of bias continue to emerge in the media against Minister Macdonald’s expert committee on GM food crops, Upper House Greens MP Ian Cohen reminds the public of the Minister’s statements in the NSW Parliament on GM food crop ‘conflict of interest’ issues.

An article in the Sydney Morning Herald today reveals more detail on the potential for bias of committee members, also aired on ABC’s PM program last week.

“The Herald story today on the bias of expert committee panel members explains the extreme reluctance of Minister Macdonald to level with the Parliament last month,” said Mr Cohen.

In response to a question to Ian Macdonald, asked by Mr Cohen, on whether or not the Minister would table the expert committee’s disclosures book on direct or indirect pecuniary interests, the Minister replied:

“I am not giving any undertakings regarding a question from you on this matter – none whatsoever” (Hansard - 05.03.08).

“The Minister told the Parliament that even if a member of the panel had failed to disclose a pecuniary interest, that ‘it would not constitute an act that would detract from the decisions of the committee’ (Hansard – 05.03.08).

“So here we have a Minister telling the Parliament that it doesn’t matter if expert committee recommendations are influenced by the pecuniary interests of its members. The Minister is treating the Parliament as his own fiefdom, oblivious that his statements are now on the public record.

“Even more concerning is the privity clause in the Gene Technology (GM Moratorium) Act. Section 7A(11) means that no Court or Tribunal in Australia can review the decision of the Minister’s approval of GMOs.

“This means that the Minister’s approval is beyond reproach. This is in direct contradiction with the High Court’s approach to the constitutionality of privity clauses.


“The Premier must now intervene to reassure the public that decisions on GM food crops are being made in an informed and impartial manner,” said Mr Cohen.

Further Information: Ian Cohen: 0409 989 466 or Nic Clyde: 0417 742 754