New Zealand charity seeks public inquiries to investigate the conduct of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the responsible Minister, the Hon Judith Collins in their undertaking of Gene Technology Regulatory reform and Science System reforms.
A New Zealand charity, the Physicians & Scientists for Global Responsibility New Zealand (PSGR), has reviewed official documents involved in the production of the Gene Technology Bill and New Zealand’s recent science system reforms and have published two white papers that call for two separate public inquiries.
PSGR have written to the Ombudsman asking that they convene a public inquiry to assess whether officials directly undermined public law conventions and processes to pursue policies and laws in favour of the deregulation of gene editing technology. PSGR have emailed members of Parliament to advise them of the complaint to the Ombudsman.
Secondly, PSGR are also calling for a ‘transparent and public inquiry’ that can (a) identify the factors leading to the collapse of the capacity of New Zealand’s research, science, innovation and technology system to be adequately resourced to meet the objectives of society at large; and (b) recommend how to transform it into having that capacity, and in doing so serve the public purpose and support the wellbeing of New Zealand, her people, resources and environment.
PSGR is open on the issue of whether the second, science system enquiry should be a formal inquiry or a Royal Commission but believes that people should be asking why the important role of science and research in producing knowledge for the maximum benefit of society, has been perverted by prioritising commercial returns.
PSGR have published two papers under the title: ‘When powerful agencies hijack democratic systems.’ The papers allege that government documents suggest that the Minister and MBIE officials may have acted to drive policy and legislative outcomes in a manner which may be neither fair nor impartial, but biased and potentially misleading. MPs have been sent these papers and advised of the complaint to the Ombudsman.
PSGR are concerned that officials may have sidelined and undermined important issues and conventions that are essential to sustain a robust, healthy, accountable democratic nation-state, in their haste to push through gene technology and science system reforms.
Lead researcher Jodie Bruning stated:
‘Evidence points to these reforms severely restricting the capacity of the new gene technology regulator, and the New Zealand science system, to conduct activities intended to serve the public good and supporting constitutional and democratic government.’
The Part I paper, The case of gene technology regulatory reform, recommends that the Gene Technology Bill is placed on hold and that the Ombudsman undertakes a formal review into the official conduct of MBIE and Judith Collins, to establish whether this body of officials directly undermined public law conventions and processes to pursue policies and laws in favour of the deregulation of gene editing technology.
Co-author and former Crown Research Institute researcher, Dr Elvira Dommisse stated:
‘The evidence suggests that the MBIE- funded Royal Society undertook research to communicate the benefits of new gene editing technologies, and used them to provide ideas for law reform. The National Party then took these recommendations and ran with them. MBIE and Judith Collins subsequently oversaw the drafting of legislation that excluded a wide range of these technologies from their proposed Bill. However, at no stage was there any formal process of assessing the risks of these excluded technologies.
This is of particular concern because if the Bill were passed, these technologies could be ramped up commercially, and released at scale. No-one would know’
PSGR are concerned that if members of Parliament (MPs) believe MBIE’s assurances that the legislation is fit for purpose, that they may be being misled. There has been little or no scientific evaluation to assure MPs that the risks can ever be managed in such a way that will fulfil the purpose of the Bill, which is to ‘protect the health and safety of people; and the environment’.
The Part II paper, The case of science system reform, draws upon official documents to show how the science system reforms that are currently underway (2023-2024) have excluded any evaluation of the role of public good research in meeting the objectives of society at large. Instead, the current reforms will likely direct the RSI&T system away from optimising science and research to solve domestic problems and challenges.
Lead researcher Jodie Bruning stated:
‘MBIE officials know very well that ‘innovation’ is a proxy term for patents. They’ve directed the entire science system to promise a patent first, and then if we’re lucky this might trickle down into some other benefit. It’s the wrong way round. New Zealand has a very big problem when the Ministry responsible for innovation and economic growth controls the science system.’
The papers point to the extraordinary conundrum New Zealand is in. The conflict-of-interest which arises when the agency for economic growth, which controls the policy and funding for the entire science system, then takes action to secure control of legislative reforms that would reduce regulatory barriers to the very ‘innovations’ or technologies that that agency directly funds scientists to produce.
Bruning added:
‘We’ve got an instance where one Ministry has extraordinary political and financial conflicts of interest, while also exercising effective control over how and what knowledge is produced for New Zealand as a nation. When that Ministry secured that massive control of the science system, it did not achieve this through an Act of Parliament, but via secondary legislation. This is an untenable situation for our science and research system, for the New Zealand people, and for our elected members.’
If we had honest courts and more than a minuscule sprinkling of honest politicians, I’d have said there was some merit in this effort.
Still good on them for at least trying, even if its futile.
Hmm, not too sure about that.
In my recent experience the peasants are currently fairly close to revolting.
This is outstanding work. This dangerous legislation must immediately be put on hold while a full investigation is done. It threatens the lives of all New Zealanders, our food chain and all flora and fauna. Read it. It is dire. If Kiwis knew the full implications of it there would be an uproar. Thank you for this action and hard work. So appreciated.
I agree with Mary’s statement. Further investigation must be done. The bill must be put on hold.
So well said Mary. This is it in a nutshell.
Yes agree 100% Mary.
By the time Collins retires
On her fat pension
The damage will have already been done
Leaving a trail of devastation and destruction in her wake
In true fashion
A half hatched doggy bag at the behest of and to serve whose agenda and ulterior motives?
Judith Collins epitomizes as living proof of what is seriously wrong and f*cked up in this country
We are being ruled over by a gaggle of gays queers and misfits
Ill equipped nor with the intellectual capacity to act as administers in the fast moving the complex evolving affairs of this country
With the treaty of Wiatangi baggage train grievance industry handbrake retarding and not helping in the least
Good luck on that
One thing is for certain.
Never ever trust Judith Collins.
A disgraceful cunning evil greedy old bag with her snout permanently in the trough.
We all know how this works.
New Zealand’s version of Nancy Pelosi.
Obvious much.
Yep “cunning” is definitely correct.
“Evil” is possibly a bit strong.
Self-serving, bent and dodgy might be more accurate.
We desperately need a way to stop these politicians who are destroying our country due to outside influences. There needs to be a way to reign them in and make them pay for the consequences of their actions. It seems they can just do what ever the hell they want regardless of the consequences for our country. I think most are WEF controlled. The other part of the problem is the control they have over our media. Imagine if it were to hit the head lines about how dangerous GMO can be and the harms it can lead too.
Yet silence from our media. The media should not be allowed any outside funding of any form. They should be forced to live and die on their own two feet. If they push lies and the public refuses to read or watch them anymore then good job. Instead they are propped up and influenced by who ever funds them. Jabcinda gave them millions to peddle her b.s. We have to find a way to take the media back.
Thank you Eddie!
This has to be the TOP COMMENT of all time.
The more media coverage on anything/anyone the more fake is the story, as medias are owned by the slime on the dime.
Collins has to be one of the most corrupt people in NZ.
Thanks so much to Jodie Bruning and the PSGR for holding this despicable bill up to the light.
Collins and Brown are no more than puppets trying to ram home destructive legislation on behalf of international interests and obscure funding bodies.
They won’t have kiwis at front of mind on this because there is big money involved and they have serious pressure and coercion behind them to bulldoze it through ASAP.
Time to let these traitors know that we have had enough? We want a government that acts gor us in all matters and at all times.
As for the complicit media….. their time will come when advertisers resluse the scams and simply STOP.
Compare the proposed gene technology bill with the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003, passed under the auspices of hon Andrew Little. https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2003/0048/latest/DLM203312.html
Which is the least comprehensible?
I’m calling chat gpt or whoever…neither are navigable in terms of content, style or implied meaning and most definitely non-human centric.
Poo poo my comment as much as you like but in no uncertain terms this statement from the U.S. confirms these files full of bamboozlement can be flicked around to whenever:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14622077/US-government-announces-achieved-ability-manipulate-space-time-new-technology.html
I’m calling this an ‘Eagle versus Shark’ scenario and a possible misuse of technology in a highly inflammatory situation.
Good luck with the MBIE btw their M.O. is to place you on indefinite hold.
Hopefully this will finally sink the unflushable Judith Collins.
I’ve never liked Judith Collins. When in power she always talks down to us citizens with a smart alec attitude.
The sort of person you just don’t wanna be around. I hope she runs for leader again and gets the job because that will move votes away from National to Act.