Senate debates

Thursday, 30 March 2006

Genetic Use Restriction Technologies

4:12 pm

Photo of Rachel SiewertRachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—
(a)
notes:
(i)
that the Australian Government has not as yet stated a public policy position on genetic use restriction technologies (GURTs), and has not yet undertaken a process of public consultation on GURTs, and
(ii)
the recommendation of a working group at the United Nations meeting on the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Brazil on Friday, 24 March 2006, to uphold the existing de facto moratorium on GURTs, which is expected to be confirmed by the CBD’s plenary session in the week beginning 27 March 2006; and
(b)
calls on the Australian Government to:
(i)
cease all Australian Government advocacy of measures that would undermine the CBD’s moratorium on GURTs,
(ii)
place a ban on research, development and use of GURTs in Australia, and
(iii)
instruct all official delegates to future CBD meetings to advocate a complete and permanent international ban on GURTs.

Question negatived.

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