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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-04-29 Daily Xml
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Motions

Genetically Modified Crops

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL (15:54): On behalf of and at the request of my colleague the Hon. Tammy Franks, I move:

That the regulations made under the Genetically Modified Crops Management Act 2004 concerning Designation of Area, No. 3, made on 5 March 2020 and laid on the table of this council on 8 April 2020, be disallowed.

This is the third time this council has considered an identical motion. The issues have been canvassed many times before. The issues fall into two categories: there is the merits or otherwise of genetically modified crops and then there is the issue that has convinced this council on the previous two occasions to disallow these regulations, and that is that the use of regulations to make such a fundamental shift, as should properly be done by legislation, is inappropriate and therefore we have seen even people who might be sympathetic to the government's agenda supporting the disallowance motion.

From my conversations with colleagues, I expect that the result will be exactly the same today. The issue of the moratorium on the growing of GM crops should properly be dealt with by the parliament with a bill. We know that from yesterday a bill has passed the lower house and we will be getting that bill shortly, and that is the appropriate mechanism to deal with whether or not the moratorium should be lifted and under what circumstances. These regulations are an inappropriate use of executive power. I have said before that I think they display an arrogance and a contempt for the legislative process, and my understanding is that the numbers today are the same as they have been in the past.

There are four speakers. I will not say any more now but I reserve the right in summing-up. If any of those speakers say anything which I believe needs to be addressed I might say a few more words then but otherwise I commend the motion to the chamber.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (15:56): As the Hon. Mr Parnell has said, this is the third time we have dealt with this issue in terms of whether the moratorium on genetically modified crops should be lifted through regulation. The opposition has always wanted to ensure that the parliamentary process is thorough and that the issue should rightly be addressed through legislation and not through regulation.

As has been mentioned, a bill will be coming up from the other place and that is where I will have the opportunity to speak more about the issue of GM itself. However, for the purposes of this motion, we are supporting it which will ensure that the regulations are not approved because the process is that it should be done through legislation and not through regulation.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (15:57): I will be brief—

An honourable member: Hear, hear!

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: But I will not be in my summing-up when I present my bill. I will briefly say that we wholeheartedly support this motion for the same reasons that we did previously. It is almost beginning to sound like groundhog day because it is the third occasion that we are doing this. I would imagine that after the disallowance today the minister in the other place will probably again regulate for the GM crops.

Our opposition is not about whether we support or do not support GM crops. As the Hon. Mark Parnell and the Hon. Clare Scriven have pointed out, it is all about proper parliamentary process, and that is as simple as it is. With that, I will commend this motion to the chamber and I will have more to say about GM later.

The Hon. C. BONAROS (15:58): For the reasons so articulately outlined by other members, I indicate again on behalf of SA-Best that we strongly support the motion.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade and Investment) (15:58): I rise on behalf of the government to make a few comments in relation to the notice of motion given by the Hon. Tammy Franks but moved, with her consent, by her colleague the Hon. Mark Parnell to disallow the regulations.

This is the third time and it has meant, of course, that these actions have denied South Australian farmers the opportunity to plant GM canola this year. As we know, we had good rain about a fortnight ago and it is raining outside today. It was the traditional ANZAC Day break in the season that everybody dreams of getting. The average date for a break in the season is about 15 May, so that when it comes on ANZAC Day it is three weeks ahead of time and presents a really good opportunity to grow some great crops, and I hope our farmers get to do that.

It is a shame that all of these actions have meant that it will be 2021 before our South Australian farmers will get a chance to get access to GM canola, which is the only crop we are currently talking about. I will correct the Hon. Mr Pangallo: we have a bill that has passed the House of Assembly that will be on our Notice Paper in the next couple of weeks, so I will be surprised if the minister does bring regulations back in to have them disallowed again when he has a new bill that now enjoys the support of the Australian Labor Party. We will be grateful for their support as it comes through this chamber in the next couple of weeks. However, with this one, I indicate we will not be supporting the Greens' disallowance motion.

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL (16:00): As I alluded to before, I reserve the right to correct egregious errors of fact or mistakes, but the Hon. David Ridgway has been more temperate than normal, so I do not feel any great need to add any further information. The majority of the members of this chamber have made their views clear: they do not believe that regulations are the appropriate vehicle to achieve what the government wants to do, so I am confident that, when this is put to a vote very shortly, these regulations will be disallowed.

Motion carried.

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