49903 (2024). Hon Dr Deborah Russell to the Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology

Written Question

Published date: 28 Aug 2024

Metadata

Document type:	Written Question
Parliament number:	54
Question number:	49903 (2024)
Question asked:	14 Aug 2024
Member asking:	Hon Dr Deborah Russell
Portfolio:	Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology
Minister replying:	Hon Judith Collins
Answer received:	25 Aug 2024
Status:	Question Answered
Reply type:	Reply
Document ID:	WQ_49903_2024
Document guid:	194eb0cb-037a-4f4c-aa1b-7dbc409ebeec

49903 (2024). Hon Dr Deborah Russell to the Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology: Is there evidence that suggests the current laws on genetic modification have caused New Zealand any loss, and if so, what is this evidence?

Hon Judith Collins: The current laws have restricted or prevented the development of new tools that would bring significant economic and environmental benefits to New Zealand, such as low-emission grasses, sterile pine trees, and new medical treatments such as CAR T-cell therapies. These potential benefits from gene technology have been canvassed in a range of publicly available reports and reviews, including that of the Royal Society Te Apārangi's Gene Editing Panel in 2019.