Australian GMO skeptics slam passing of law 

CANBERRA - Gene technology skeptics today slammed as inadequate laws passed by federal parliament during marathon overnight sittings.

The laws, governing the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) such as crops and GM foods are a first for Australia, with GMOs currently overseen by a regulatory body.

The Senate ground through hundreds of amendments on the best way to regulate the use of GMOs to ensure their safe and effective use in the environment.

The minor opposition parties tried but failed to pass a number of amendments to the bill which eventually passed with Labor's support earlier this morning.

Greens Senator Bob Brown said the Gene Technology Bill 2000 was weak and dangerous.

"The bill falls far short of protecting the public interest," he said.

In particular it had failed to require insurance for crop growers' licenses, protect organic farmlands and to set up a compensation fund for people adversely affected by GM products.

The Organic Federation of Australia said the laws would not work because they did not adequately regulate the handling of GM crops.

He said without that regulation, GM crops could contaminate other plants.

"To regulate for trade issues, it needs to be controlled very strongly from the moment the farmer plants the crop through to the harvest, through to the grain handling and transport of the crop, including segregation," he said.

But the NSW Farmers' Association was confident farmers would stop the spread of GM foods grown on their land under the laws.

"There is no question they have got to, that's the rules of the game and if they don't want to play the rules of the game don't for heaven's sake run out on the field," association spokesman Hugh Roberts said.

He said genetically modified crops with their higher yields were the only solution to date to the production required in the next 40 years, and as an export nation Australia had to stay abreast of the world.

Mr Roberts said he was confident consumers would accept the benefits of GM foods, including cheaper prices.

Opposition health parliamentary secretary Alan Griffin said the opposition's amendments had forced major concessions on the government that would strengthen regulation.

"Labor has successfully amended the bill to ensure that in the vast majority of cases, information relating to the size and location of GMO field releases will be made public," he said.

Health parliamentary secretary Grant Tambling told the Senate the laws were a world-class benchmark for gene technology.

The Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) said yesterday new rules governing the way genetically modified food must be labelled were just one year away.

ANZFA managing director Dr Hugh Barber said the new labelling laws applied to foods which contained more than 0.1 per cent of ingredients made from GM products.