The Barnett Government changed regulations to allow the growth of GM canola in 2010, and hundreds of thousands of hectares of it are now grown in [Western Australia] each year.
The Government then passed laws last year which reduced the state’s control over the growth of GM crops, removing the Agriculture Minister’s power to ban the use of the technology in WA.
Labor at first claimed that legislative change would not affect its policy, but Opposition Agriculture spokesman Mick Murray said he now acknowledged the growth of GM in WA could not be stopped.
“There is not much we can do about it,” Mr Murray said. “We understand very clearly that GM is in the ground and very hard to remove.”
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The Pastoralists and Graziers Association (PGA), which has strongly advocated for GM crops over many years, said farmers would be extremely relieved by Labor backing away from its ban policy.
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“It is wonderful news for WA grain growers that that certainty and security will now be there and the whole matter about the use of this can be put to rest,” the PGA’s Gary McGill said.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: GM crops: WA labor backflips on policy, will permit them to be grown
