Pee Kay: Gene Technology Bill and Co-Governance

A recent Taxpayers’ Union (TPU) e-mail to members featured their position on the Gene Technology Bill.

The TPU say “The Gene Technology Bill is the Government’s attempt to “modernise” New Zealand’s laws around gene editing and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). It introduces what the Government describes as a “risk-based” regulatory framework that allows low-risk gene technologies to be exempt from cumbersome red tape, while still tightly controlling high-risk applications.”

The TPU are concerned the bill actually furthers the influence of co-governance and is being supported and being waved through parliament by a Government that claims to stand against it co-governance and was elected to end co-governance!

The following is an AI summary of the TPU article produced by a friend 

The Taxpayers’ Union says the Gene Technology Bill mixes science with race-based decision-making —

Creating a new form of co-governance under the National government.

Though the Bill aims to modernise NZ’s rules on gene editing and GMOs, It embeds Treaty obligations and tikanga Māori into scientific regulation.

The Bill’s Stated Purpose:

• Supposed to simplify and modernise regulation for low-risk gene technologies while controlling high-risk ones.

• Intended to boost innovation in farming, forestry, health, and the environment, and align NZ with countries like Australia and the UK.

The Co-governance Concern

Creates two advisory committees:

• A Technical Advisory Committee (science-based).

• A Māori Advisory Committee, to advise on cultural, spiritual, and kaitiaki (guardianship) values.

The Māori Committee’s advice must be given equal weight to scientific advice.

Race-Based Privileges

• The Bill gives individual Māori (not just iwi or hapū) the right to claim special “kaitiaki” relationships with native species.

• Non-Māori cannot claim the same.

If such a relationship is claimed, the regulator must refer and consider it before granting a licence.

Risk Of Rent Seeking

• Applicants must negotiate with Māori claimants to “mitigate” objections.

• There is no appeals process and no transparency for these agreements.

• This could encourage payment or deals to secure approvals — described as race-based rent seeking rather than science-based regulation.

Core Message

The Taxpayers’ Union argues the Gene Technology Bill entrenches racial co-governance in science, contradicts National’s promises to end it, and opens the door to costly, unaccountable, and unscientific decision-making.

This is the last thing we’d expect from a Government elected to end co-governance.

Pee Kay writes he is from a generation where common sense, standards, integrity and honesty are fundamental attributes. This article was first published HERE