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GM Issues


What has GM canola done in Canada for weed control and profit?

Over 90% of canola presently grown in western Canada is resistant to glyphosate, glufosinate, or imidazolinone herbicides, with cultivars resistant to glyphosate dominating the market...

download a pdf version of the document >>> 21 Oct 2007

Bt corn reduces serious birth defects

Oct 27, 2004 9:12 AM, By Bruce Chassy and Drew Kershen

see website article >>> 21 Oct 2007

Market premiums - where are they now Kim?

Mr Chance has said that he is protecting WA farmers against canola price losses by keeping our state going GM free. He has claimed price premiums for us being non-GM. This is simply not true and never has been. See the evidence for yourself ...

download a pdf version of the document >>> 25 June 2007

Some Ethics and facts are needed in GM views

My advice to Bob Phelps and those who think like him (Debb Schmetzer, Helen Wallace, Rebecca Harrison, Samantha Dunn, Peter Hill, Wendy Radford, C Moore, Leslie Dalzeil, J Harrison and Jennifer Chadwick) is that they visit some GM crops and talk to farmers who grow GM crops before they encourage more fear with GM crops.
download a pdf version of the document >>> 18 Mar 2007

Little learnt from world class scientist

Dear Sir, I feel for the world class and respected scientist Dr John O’Donovan who was the keynote speaker at the Crop Updates recently.  The Farm Weekly reporter seemed to have missed the important points that John was raising and converted his speech into a “snigger”. 

download a pdf version of the document >>> 27 Feb 2007

Kimberly Echo – Letter to the Editor

Dear Sir, Minister Chance yet again misleads WA agriculture with his attack on Barry Haase on 22nd Feb (Kimberly Echo).

download a pdf version of the document >>> 27 Feb 2007

Bob should visit average Canadian farmer

GM canola in Canada is not being stockpiled (page 14 Weekly Times 17th Jan).  But, yes, they do have a lot of it.  Why would that be?  It is because Canadian farmers have a choice, and they chose to grown 85% GM canola.
download a pdf version of the document >>> Jan 2007

Kim Chance misleads WA agriculture through Hansard

download a pdf version of the document >>> 13 October 2006

Chance has lost the plot

download a pdf version of the letter >>> 13 October 2006

Chance deliberately stalls

Leading agricultural consultant Bill Crabtree has accused state Agriculture Minister Kim Chance of deliberately sabotaging the productivity of WA farmers.

more >>> 13 July 2006

Chance misleads agriculture

For three years, since 2004, WA farmers could have been growing GM canola with yields 20-40% more than their current triazine tolerant canolas. Through repeated mis-information to state parliament, and through the media, the Minister for Agriculture Honourable Kim Chance has been telling porkies and deliberately slowing the desire for farmers to embrace modern GM technology…

more >>> 11 July 2006

Summary of comments from meeting with MLC Kim Chance

Minister requested scientific study references that are published in referred journals on large animals that have been fed GM food over the long-term. Bill to search…

more >>> 29 June 2006

Farmers need new technology

Farmers across southern Australia are suffering from the GM moratoria’s.  It is disappointing that a network of confused people have caused unfounded fears with GMs which has stifled GM adoption for perhaps three years…

more >>> 12 February 2006

Notes from Kim Chance meeting

Alan referred to numerous studies showing the safety of GM products, including some UWA work with Basta resistant lupins. Alan said there were many studies that showed GM products to be safe.  Alan said many of the foods we eat, and medicines we take, are now GM…

more >>> 4 November 2005

What GM crops have to offer

Farmers are regularly bombarded with anti-GM information which is mostly without foundation. GM acreage is increasing worldwide every year - by 20% last year (but not in WA). The reasons for this are; there is a 30% grain yield premium available with GM canola, GMs reduce pesticide use, GMs reduce poisoning of children and farmers, GMs are as safe as normal breeding - perhaps even safer, GMs give drought tolerance, GMs reduce herbicide resistance, GMs will not make you grow a tail, GM contamination is manageable at sensible levels, GMs attract no markets price penalty and GMs do not make you dependant on multi-nationals.  We are missing out and falling behind! 

Click here for more information on the Canadian Speaker
Bruce Murray
10 November 2005

Open Letter to Minister Chance - Time to Stop Stalling

I read with interest your comments in the West Australian today (11th August 2005). It seems to me that you have set your course on continuing to stall GM, without evidence, and with rhetoric that is false in essence. Please allow me to explain…

more >>> 11 August 2005

Consultant disputes GM crop claims

Julie Newman from the Network of Concerned Farmers was cited as saying there is growing international evidence that GM crops use more water than conventional varieties and may be unsuitable for Australia's drought conditions…

more >>> 12 July 2005

GMs are more drought tolerant

You may have heard that GM crops do not do well in droughts in Brazil, India, Canada and the US. Allow me to share my experiences and notes from friends that align with my first-hand observations…

more >>> 12 July 2005

How much more for non-GM?

Minister Kim Chance is right to point out that "it's hard to distinguish a price premium for non-GM crops". Because there is none. We have had 10 years now to try and obtain a price premium for non-GM, and we have failed…

more >>> 10 July 2005

The real concerns with GM

Most farmers seem to have two main concerns with GM canola. It might make Roundup resistance worse and I might be controlled by the chemical companies. So what has happened elsewhere in the world with these issues…

more >>> 21 June 2005

GM food - by Wayne Smith

People are allergic to “natural” foods like peanuts, wheat flour, lychees, etc…, and thousands of people die from them every year. Also, almost every food we eat has some “cancer causing” chemical in them, including apples and broccoli. Does that stop us eating them…

more >>> 21 June 2005

How much more anti-GM propaganda?

Yet again Julie Newman asserts nonsense (Countryman 12th May)!  There is a 30% proven grain yield increase with GM canola, along with less pesticides, less stubble burning, less green house gases etc…

more >>> 13 May 2005

We don’t need GM crops - by Julie Newman

The letter, ‘We must give GM a chance’, by Bill Crabtree (Countryman 28th April) was what was expected after the recent GM industry-sponsored PR consultant meeting in Perth recently…

more >>> 12 May 2005

Sensible GM standards needed

Mr Engelke is obviously concerned about GM technology (Countryman 5th May 05). It would add useful depth to the debate if he could visit US, Canada and South America for himself…

more >>> 5 May 2005

Minister Chance feeds propaganda

Sadly our Agricultural Minister is not interested in good science. He would prefer to stay friends with the anti-GM movement who being "flat earth people"…

more >>> 3 May 2005

Being left behind - for sure!

Kim Chance's comment (Countryman 14th April) that if we went down the GM path that it would be irrecoverable is not true.  His Agricultural Department's research work with the GM Basta (or Liberty) resistant lupins, about 10 years ago and all over the state, has not hurt us…

more >>> 20 April 2005

$68/ha better return with Liberty

In farmers interests, unpaid as I am in this action, I again refute the continuous mis-information about GM canola. Let’s be clear and complete with the agronomic facts…

more >>> 21 March 2005

Bill runs for Parliament - Independent for Roe

Aiding the adoption of GM technology for sustainable and prosperous agriculture, a “clean and green” agriculture that is less reliant on chemicals - less Atrazine use, progress and prosperity of the region with careful attention to our fragile environment, the belief that all people should be listened to before tough decisions are made, integrity and free will of the human spirit…

more >>> 7 February 2005

Weed control opportunities with GM canola

Australia’s agricultural profitability and sustainability is being threatened by weeds proliferating and becoming resistant to many different herbicide groups…

more >>> 17 January 2005

We Will Get Left Behind

I have just returned from a 10 days in Ukraine for their first International No-Tillage Conference for the CIS region. They have only just began no-tilling…

more >>> 7 December 2004

Minister for State Development

I am an agronomist based in Northam, WA with 20 years experience in crop agronomy. This includes a Department of Agriculture 12 months job exchange to Canada in 1996 where I made many life-long rural friends in leading edge agriculture…

more >>> 3 November 2004

Biotechnology Withheld by Our State

MLA Clive Brown reports on Friday 29/10/2004 in the West Australian on Page: 2  that "A thriving biotechnology industry is part of our vision for Western Australia…

more >>> 3 November 2004

GM Challenge Embraced

Through time, sound logic will prevail effectively dismantling the Network of Concerned Farmers (NCF) and their hype. The NCF has never genuinely pushed for both sides of the GM debate to come together…

more >>> 21 October 2004

$170 million annual loss for rejecting GE canola for WA!

Why has the innovative WA state been so easily bluffed into believing that Canadian farmers are fools for wholeheartedly embracing genetically engineered (GE or GM) canola?…

more >>> 19 October 2004


Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisherises

Thank you for your letter (ecopy) on 28 July regarding GM canola with your explanation of reason why you are with-holding GM crops from us…

more >>> 7 October 2004

I’m Back!

Along with 43 other farmers and scientists, from all over southern Australia, I recently saw first-hand numerous GM crops in Canada and the United States…

more >>> 23 September 2004

GM Canola - Invaluable Tool With-Held

I am forever grateful to WANTFA and the Department of Agriculture for my 1996 job exchange to Canada. This visit gave me life-long friends whose opinions I hold very highly, many of whom I will re-visit in August 2004…

more >>> 19 July 2004

Wrong Strong Views!

To clear up the confusion over Australia non-GM and Canadian GM canola prices please see the following chart. During the last 5 years of rapid Canadian GM canola adoption their prices have averaged $US10/t more than ours…

more >>> 27 June 2004

Chance’s Lack of Understanding Leads Public Astray

Last week our Agricultural Minister, Kim Chance said on page 4 of the Farm Weekly “There is just so much opposition to GMs in cereals because people would actually consume DNA”…

more >>> 27 May 2004

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