Position clear on genetically modified crops, Gardiner
Author: Philip Gardiner
Published on: 17-March-2010
Hon Philip Gardiner MLC, Member for the Agricultural Region, today moved to reaffirm his view on the growing of genetically modified (GM) crops in Western Australia.
“GM technology offers new power to assist yield and production and as I outlined in my inaugural address to Parliament in June last year, I support its use in Western Australian agriculture,” Mr Gardiner stated.
“For grains it includes breeding for, among many other things, drought and frost tolerance, two crucial climatic variables of the state’s grain belt.”
Mr Gardiner’s statement comes following anecdotal suggestions he was against GM technology and intimations he may cross the floor should a vote be called in the Upper House.
“I will not support a disallowance motion on GM crops along the lines of that moved in the Legislative Assembly last week,” he said.
“Nonetheless, I am very concerned that the added herbicide use will exacerbate the resistance of weeds to glyphosate. The world’s weed resistance capital is right here in Western Australia. Resistance to glyphosate already exists, so much so that the level could easily escalate.
“Glyphosate is the one precious knockdown herbicide available to grain growers but it is also the active ingredient of the herbicide used when spraying weeds in paddocks sown with Roundup Ready canola.
“We must do all we can to ensure that no further resistance to glyphosate develops.”
Mr Gardiner said he was working with stakeholders, including Monsanto as the developer of the chemical and supplier of the GM technology, to implement a more rigorous stewardship agreement with the grower to ensure the adoption of fundamental practices to prevent any further onset of resistance.
“Professional grain growers and Monsanto have the same interest,” Mr Gardiner said. “Should glyphosate resistant weeds further develop, Monsanto’s Roundup Ready technology quickly becomes worthless, something neither grower nor Monsanto or a similar technology provider can afford.
“I support the growing of GM canola but firmly believe preventing herbicide resistance of the most important chemical used in broadacre agriculture is vitally important to the future wellbeing of farming in this State,” he concluded.
