Stirling Griff (SA, Centre Alliance) Share this | Hansard source

Centre Alliance will support this disallowance, because we are not convinced the SDN-1 gene-editing technique should be excluded from regulation. While it is a low-risk technique, we accept there are potentially significant trade impacts relating to the new regulation for Australian exports to nations with stricter regulatory regimes, especially for organic and non-GMO marketed products. We note that the most recent decision from the European Court of Justice affirmed that all SDN techniques, including SDN-1, are considered to be genetic modification techniques and, as such, are required to be regulated under the obligations of the EU's GMO directive. We also note that Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman and Tasmania's Minister for Primary Industries and Water, Guy Barnett, have both said that the state will specifically regulate the use of SDN-1-modified organisations in order to protect Tasmania's GMO-free reputation.