Australian ban becomes election issue

Posted: Monday, August 18, 2008 2:08 pm

Premier Alan Carpenter of the Labor party has promised to continue a ban on raising engineered crops in the state of Western Australia. The Liberal opposition says it will allow these crops if it wins the September 6 election. The West Australian Farmers Federation supports the growing of GM crops.

In supporting the current ban, Carpenter mentioned unknown risks and foreign acceptance.

"Until the science is absolutely and utterly unequivocal, I don't believe we should take any risks with the food that we eat", he said, adding that WA's best agricultural markets included the European Union and Japan.

The Liberals say the ban denies farmers access to new technologies used internationally. "It's a big issue for farmers, even a debating point, but GM is now used widely internationally", said Liberal leader Colin Barnett.

"If we don't allow it, we will deny farmers the opportunity to keep up with international trends."

The Liberals' policy would see WA become the third Australian state to plant GM crops, after NSW and Victoria.

The National Party, which holds five seats in the Legislative Assembly, has also called for the lifting of the moratorium.

The West Australian Farmers Federation, which supports the growing of GM crops, has already moved to develop protocols for the commercialisation of GM grains in WA.

The Nationals Western Australia say the world is increasingly producing GM crops, and that GM cotton, in particular, had overcome the insect problems which plagued the industry in the Kimberley in the 1970s.