QUOTES:

Western Australia's Agriculture Minister Kim Chance:

"Mr McGauran [Australia's pro-GM Federal Agriculture Minister] obviously has not read about the Canadian experience, and I would like to know which countries he believes are enjoying financial and environmental benefits for GM crops, particularly GM canola."

"I do not want to see a situation where our State and Federal governments have to spend millions of dollars to help our farmers because they cannot sell their GM crops."
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Chance slams Fed GM call
By Paul Jarvis  
The Western Australian, October 13 2006
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=146&ContentID=9556

The Federal Government's call for all States to lift their moratorium on the growing of commercial GM crops has been labelled premature by the State Government, with Agriculture Minister Kim Chance defending the maintenance of the WA State moratorium.

Federal Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran called for the States to lift their moratoriums as part of a response to the drought that now encompasses most of the agricultueral regions of Australia.

He said if Victoria and NSW moved to allow GM crops, the move could persuade other States to drop their opposition.

The recommendation was one of the 35 adopted by the Government out of a total of 55 contained in a report on agriculture and food in Australia for the next generation.

The review was prepared by a team led by NFF president Peter Corish.

Mr McGauran argued overseas experience showed GM crops could offer cost efficiencies for producers as well as environmental benefits, and he described Tasmania and WA as the two States that had an outright ideological objection to GMO, while other State governments were softening their positions.

Mr Chance this week responded by saying there was mounting evidence from Canada, the world’s largest GM canola producer, of substantial payments to grain farmers to compensate for rising input costs and lower commodity prices.

He said he had been surprised to hear Mr McGauran's claim that overseas experience showed GM crops offered cost efficiencies.

"The evidence from Canada suggests otherwise," Mr Chance said.

"Mr McGauran obviously has not read about the Canadian experience, and I would like to know which countries he believes are enjoying financial and environmental benefits for GM crops, particularly GM canola."

The Minister said that in 1998 the difference between Australian and Canadian canola prices was about $70 a tonne in favour of Canada.

"However, by May 2006, Australian prices had exceeded Canadian prices by some $50 a tonne," he said, quoting a Department of Agriculture and Food WA report.

"I do not want to see a situation where our State and Federal governments have to spend millions of dollars to help our farmers because they cannot sell their GM crops.

"I wonder if Mr McGauran has discussed the possibility of future farm subsidies with the Federal Treasurer."

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