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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-05-31 Daily Xml
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Genetically Modified Crops

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (15:29): Supplementary: can the minister assure farmers that her government will continue the commitment made by the Marshall Liberal government to continue to allow for GM food crops to be cultivated?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:29): I thank the honourable member for her supplementary question. However, this is not a commitment by anyone. This is currently in law. So we have legislation that was passed. The final legislation was supported by the then Labor opposition and that—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Hon. Ms Bourke and the Hon. Ms Centofanti, listen to the minister, please.

The Hon. N.J. Centofanti interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, leader! You are reminding me of the bad old days, leader. Don't spoil your copybook.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: So the Genetically Modified Crops Management (Designated Area) Amendment Act 2020 was assented to on 15 May 2020 and then it lifted the moratorium on GM crops on mainland South Australia from 15 November 2020. As the honourable member would be aware, if she wants to bring forward some changes to that legislation, or any of her parliamentary colleagues wish to do so, they would need to give notice and introduce a bill to do so.

The act as it stands is, as we know, allowing the moratorium to continue on Kangaroo Island, while on the rest of South Australia, so mainland South Australia, one can grow genetically modified crops. That is the law, that is not about commitments, that is simply the law as it stands. We need to be very conscious of the fact that people have grown genetically modified crops and in fact it has proven to be very worthwhile for them, from the feedback that I am receiving, because of course I meet regularly with a number of different stakeholder groups, including those involved in growing canola and other crops, and in terms of the feedback that I have received they have been quite content with the law as it stands.

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