Greens Say GE Advisory Body Should Go

green-party

Fri Mar 24 2000 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Greens Say GE Advisory Body Should Go

Friday, 24 March 2000, 3:05 pm
Press Release: Green Party

The resignation announced today of Independent Biotechnology Advisory Council (IBAC) convenor Professor Peter Gluckman should be followed by official disbanding of the whole body, Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said.

Minister of Research, Science and Technology Pete Hodgson said today Prof Gluckman had resigned "to be more involved with a University of Auckland start-up company working on novel pharmaceuticals for treating brain disease.

"He was concerned to avoid any possible conflict of interest with IBAC," Mr Hodgson said in a statement.

Ms Fitzsimons said she wished Prof Gluckman, who had long been a strong promoter and practitioner of genetic engineering, had recognised his conflict of interest earlier. She said that rather than waste money on a replacement, the Government should immediately end IBAC.

"The funding should be diverted to the awaited Royal Commission of Inquiry into genetic engineering," Ms Fitzsimons said. "IBAC no longer has a role. It was set up by the last government as a way of trying to head off such a commission. It has consulted with people individually and in private - a process which has not provided a forum for public debate or an opportunity for people with different views to learn from each other, as we hop the Royal Commission will do," she said.

"While a new GE advisory body might follow the commission, it will certainly not be as pro-genetic engineering as IBAC. Its role and membership should be determined after government has received and considered the recommendations of the Royal Commission."

ends

Jeanette Fitzsimons MP: 07 8686641, 025 586068 Jonathan Hill, (press secretary): 021 1101133

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