Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins visit to Plant and Food labs in Mt Albert. Photo: RNZ / Melanie Earley
Labour and the Greens are urging caution over the government's plan to overhaul genetic engineering laws but have not ruled out ultimately supporting the move.
The existing strict regulations were set up in the late '90s and early 2000s amid widespread public concern about genetic modification, but in recent years, the scientific community has called for a rethink.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced the effective ban on gene editing would be scrapped by the end of next year.
A bill, based on Australia's legislation, would be introduced to relax restrictions and set up a regulator.
When in power, Labour's Chris Hipkins ordered a review of the legislation governing genetic technologies but stopped short of making changes.
Labour's technology spokesperson Deborah Russell said the party remained cautious but would withhold judgement until it had seen the proposed law.
Labour's technology spokesperson Deborah Russell. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
"We need to make sure New Zealanders are actually on board with this ... a whole lot of education needs to be done first."
Russell said the country had a strong brand in being "GMO-free" and should think carefully before abandoning that.
Green Party biotech spokesperson Steve Abel said he wanted to see much more detail and discussion before offering his support to the overhaul.
"We have a strong regulatory framework now ... we'd be concerned if it became a laissez-faire regime, it'd risk our current GE-free advantage."
Abel said the party supported a "precautionary and evidence-based" approach to gene technology and was worried the government was overstating the benefits of change.
"We've seen overseas where there's large-scale use of GE crops, such as in the United States, some significant downsides - a big increase in herbicide use, for example, with the Monsanto-developed Roundup Ready crops - and that doesn't benefit the public."
Asked whether the Greens could be convinced to back the legislation, Abel said there first needed to be a "wide-ranging and robust public discussion".
"We're here for that conversation."
Green Party biotech spokesperson Steve Abel. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Technology Minister Judith Collins earlier challenged the opposition parties to offer bipartisan support to the change.
"We're going through a full select committee process to iron out any issues that people have. I hope that they will get on board," Collins said.
"After all, they've told us for many years that we should trust the science - and I do."
Luxon told reporters the science had moved on from the days when critics argued genetic modification was akin to "playing God".
"God gave us a brain and we're going to apply it," Luxon said.
