Michael Reddell • May 29, 2018 •
Despite announcing yesterday a plan that aims to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis from New Zealand, there was no sign of the pro-active release of any background papers or analysis. We don’t have copies of the relevant Cabinet papers, or the relevant advice from The Treasury or MPI. Not that long ago, the incoming government talked of its commitment to open government, … Read More
Eric Crampton • Jun 26, 2017 •
Versions of cost-benefit that tally up all of the savings to a public health system from banning people doing things they like, and ignore the costs incurred by people banned from doing things they like, lead to this: We reveal today that new Ministry of Primary Industry guidelines for food outlets require your hamburger to be cooked to fried … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Feb 23, 2016 •
“300 animals a day tortured to death.” is pretty much how Paul Henry recently reported the figures on the use of animals for scientific research, teaching and testing in New Zealand. A statement like that calls for some definite debunking! This month the Ministry for Primary Industries released the 2014 figures on the animals used for research, teaching and … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Apr 08, 2015 •
The Dominion Post recently ran an article about “Glowing GE bacteria” which were “produced illegally in New Zealand using mail-order kits from America”. Perhaps unsurprisingly given that the phrase ‘genetically engineered’ was mentioned, Green MP Stefan Browning and GE Free New Zealand spokesperson Jon Carapiet chimed in to share their dismay that people/kids were fiddling with complex natural … Read More
Mark Hanna • Feb 01, 2015 •
Biosecurity is a big issue for New Zealand. Being a group of islands fairly isolated from all other landmasses and having quite a unique native ecosystem (many native birds with no native mammalian predators and few native land mammals), we have a lot to lose from introduced species. There are also biological threats to industry […] … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Aug 15, 2013 •
According to an article in the Stuff, Matamata veterinarian Frank Rowson says the contamination of Fonterra’s whey powder with the toxin-producing bacterium Clostridium botulinum is linked to contamination of the food chain by glyphosate weed killers. Glyphosate is better known as the Monsanto product Round Up, to which the company developed genetically resistant crops … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Dec 03, 2012 •
The press seems to be full of people frothing at the mouth over suggestions by Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne that the manufacturers of ‘legal highs’ should be required to provide safety information on their products before they are allowed on New Zealand shelves. This comes on the back of the minister announcing a … Read More