GM WATCH MONTHLY REVIEW No. 51
FROM REVIEW EDITOR, CLAIRE ROBINSON
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We hope you enjoy our latest global roundup of news on the GM front. Please forward it to all your friends and colleagues who may be interested, and tell all your non-English speaking friends that many of our past Monthly Reviews are available in Portuguese, Dutch and German at
http://www.lobbywatch.org/p1temp.asp?pid=93&page=1

As you may have heard, in just the last week the premiers of two Australian states, John Brumby in Victoria and Morris Iemma in New South Wales, have trashed Australia's GM-free advantage by allowing the states' GM canola (oilseed rape) bans to expire, threatening the whole of Australia with GM contamination.

Brumby is already facing a serious political backlash as a result. Less than four months into his premiership, Brumby has been hit by an unprecedented caucus revolt. Members of Brumby's team complain they've been rail-roaded, and 'ignorant' and 'short-sighted' are among the comments on the decision made by his own supporters.

Brumby and Iemma aren't alone in feeling the heat. When the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture said recently that they'd ban labels that indicated that milk had been produced without Monsanto's genetically engineered cattle drug Posilac (rBGH/BST), all hell broke loose and they quickly announced a review of the policy. And there's been growing consumer pressure for rBGH-free milk across the country. And next year the U.S. natural food industry will remove all remaining genetically engineered ingredients from its products.

According to the author of Genetic Roulette, Jeffrey Smith, 'Consumer buying pressure will likely force the entire food chain in North America to swear off GE within the next two years. Such a tipping point was achieved in Europe in April 1999. Australia should be taking notice of the response to GE foods throughout the world. It is certainly not the time to let the state bans expire.'

Claire [email protected]
www.gmwatch.org / www.lobbywatch.org

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MONTHLY REVIEW CONTENTS
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AUSTRALIAN STATES LIFT GM BAN
LOBBYWATCH
VICTIMISED SCIENTISTS
BEE DIE-OFF
CONTAMINATION
RESISTANCE/BANS/RESTRICTIONS ON GM
GM EXPANSION/APPROVALS
RESEARCH
GM FILMS ON YOUTUBE
FOOD SAFETY
AGROFUELS
GM TREES
CORPORATE TAKEOVER OF GOVERNMENT
CLONING
GENETIC CROSSROADS

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AUSTRALIAN STATES LIFT GM BAN
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+ PREMIERS SOW SEEDS OF DESTRUCTION
The premier of Victoria, John Brumby and the premier of New South Wales, Morris Iemma have been accused of trashing Australia's GM-free advantage by allowing the state's GM canola bans to expire, threatening the whole nation with GM contamination.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8538

+ FURORE AS BAN ON GM CROPS LIFTED
The decision to allow GM canola to be grown in Victoria has inflamed dissent in Premier Brumby's Government and sparked warnings non-GM farms could be contaminated. Farmers in Victoria and NSW will be free to plant GM canola from early next year after both states announced the lifting of bans on the crops - despite appeals not to do so from the Governments of Western Australia and Tasmania. The Brumby government accepted a recommendation from a scientific panel headed by Victoria's chief scientist, Sir Gustav Nossal. Cabinet approved the lifting of the ban despite stinging criticism of the premier from some of his own MPs. Copies of Sir Gustav's review were released by the premier only after it was announced that the ban would be removed.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8540

+ HEALTH ISSUES NOT CONSIDERED IN MORATORIUM DECISION
The Victorian government deliberately excluded health issues in the report it commissioned from Sir Gustav Nossal to help it decide whether to continue or overturn its moratorium on GM canola.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8502

+ 'INDEPENDENT REVIEW' WAS PR EXERCISE
The Network of Concerned Farmers has slammed the Victorian 'independent review' by Nossal, claiming the concerns of non-GM farmers were ignored. 'The report included benefits that are not there while ignoring additional costs and market risks,' said Julie Newman, NCF national spokesperson.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8551

+ LIES, CORRUPTION, AND VESTED INTEREST
A very useful summary by Julie Newman of the 'lies, corruption and vested interest' behind the push for GM in Australia is at http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8557

+ 250 MAJOR COMPANIES BACKED GM CROP BAN
250 major food companies supported the continuation of the GM moratoria by Australian states. The companies include Goodman Fielder, the biggest user of canola oil in Australia, and the Tatiara Meat Company (TMC), the biggest producer and exporter of Australian lamb. TMC's managing director, Eckard Huebl, says there is a risk it will lose a premium now being paid for Australian lamb.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8463
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8469
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8473
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8481
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=8518

+ WESTERN AUSTRALIA AND TASMANIA URGE STATES TO KEEP MORATORIUM
http://www.lobbywatch.org/a