Church Bioethics Agencies Express Dismay at the Rushed Consultation Period for Submissions on the Gene Technology Bill – Interchurch Bioethics Council

Representatives of the InterChurch Bioethics Council (ICBC) and the Nathaniel Centre for Bioethics have expressed deep dismay at parliamentarians using the shadow of Christmas to limit public consultation on the Gene Technology Bill.

The Gene Technology Bill only passed its first reading on Tuesday the 17th of December after which it was sent to the Health Select Committee. Despite Science, Innovation and Technology Minister, Judith Collins stating that “New Zealanders will get the chance to have their say during the full select committee process that will open shortly and run for six months,” the submission period for public submissions on the Gene Technology Bill will close on the 17th of February 2025, just two months away.

“The proposed timeframe for submissions pays only lip service to the Minister’s stated commitment for all New Zealanders to have their say,” said Dr John Kleinsman, kaitohu of the New Zealand Catholic Bioethics Centre – the Nathaniel Centre. “To put the call for submissions out less than a week before Christmas and the great New Zealand shutdown has been perceived by some as a cynical move to try to minimise public involvement. In reality, there is less than a month for people to submit on what is a critical piece of legislation.”

ICBC spokesperson and Co-Chair, Rev David Bush, commented that the move to review the current regulations and laws is timely and important, while agreeing that there are potential benefits for New Zealanders. “However, the benefits of gene technology also come with potential risks that are not insignificant, and it is important, given what is at stake, that the government consult widely with the public and all relevant experts, including tangata whenua.”

“In the leadup to the current legislative and regulatory framework, the Government of the day set up a Royal Commission on Genetic Modification,” added Bush. “While we are not calling for that sort of process, it does highlight the pathetic nature of the current consultation. It’s simply not good enough.”

Earlier this year the ICBC and the Nathaniel Centre along with two other organisations wrote to the Prime Minister expressing support for a review of genetic modification while also stressing the need for education and wide consultation. Dr Kleinsman noted that “various experts, including the Prime Minister’s chief science advisor, have continually stressed the need for widespread public engagement, including substantive engagement with Māori. As Associate Professor Josephine Johnston from the University of Otago recently noted, New Zealanders will need a moment to catch up to a whole new approach to gene technology. The current process flies in the face of what so many people are saying and is disrespectful of robust deliberative democracy.”

“We urge the Health Select Committee to extend the date for submissions,” concluded Rev Bush. “There is too much at stake to leave the outcome of this review only in the hands of politicians or those with vested interests.”