The Australian community and state and federal government are being seriously manipulated by the GM industry into rushing unthinkingly into the brave new world of GM food. Despite pumping millions of dollars into research on genetically manipulated crops, government has not properly questioned the industry's claims, looked at the facts or put in place an appropriate regulatory system.

The Australian Greens today outlined their vision for Australia in the new century ahead of the opening of the Balance-of-Power Senate.

Australian Greens Leader, Senator Bob Brown, said a record 1.17 million people voted Greens at the last election, and the five Greens Senators were ready to work constructively with all parties to respond to the challenges of the new century.

"Pollution, poverty, discrimination and the destruction of Australia's forests and precious environments are the legacy of the last century and decades of greed and inaction."

The Australian Greens today condemned the Federal Government's plan to suspend the welfare payments of families of children who fail to attend school.

"Where is the evidence base that this punitive approach will actually work?" asked Senator Rachel Siewert today.

"What evidence is there that it is only the kids of welfare recipients who are not attending school?"

"What happens to these families when their payments are suspended?"

The Australian Greens today renewed calls for a halt on all Genetically Modified food approvals until they are fully tested for safe human consumption and rigorous national labelling laws are in place.

"Senate Estimates last night confirmed that FSANZ doesn't independently assess the safety of GM products but relies on company data," said Senator Rachel Siewert Greens spokesperson today.

"Regulation of GM in this country is grossly inadequate and highlights why it is so important to maintain the moratorium on GM crops," she said.

To follow on from Tim H's post on Senate Estimates transcripts, I thought I'd also post a few links to some of the more interesting discussions coming out of estimates.

The Australian Greens today supported calls from the WA Government for a halt on all Genetically Modified food approvals until they are fully tested for safe human consumption and rigorous national labelling laws are in place.

"Regulation of GM in this country is grossly inadequate and highlights why it is so important to maintain the moratorium on GM crops," said Australian Greens spokesperson Senator Rachel Siewert today.

Senator Rachel Siewert has condemned what she described as a misleading and irresponsible report on genetically engineered crops from the Australian Bureau of Resource Economics (ABARE), after evidence to Senate Estimates late yesterday revealed its modelling was based on unjustifiable and bizarre assumptions.

"The clear intention of this report was to convince farmers, the wider community and Government to adopt genetically engineered crops by generating media reports that the Australian economy was 'missing out' to the tune of $8.5 Billion," said Senator Siewert.