16 February 2025

Biotech can help reach climate change goals, spur growth: Judith Collins

By: Judith Collins

I have been fortunate in my capacity as National Spokesperson for Science, Innovation and Technology, Foreign Direct Investment and Digitising Government to travel across the country and meet with hard working Kiwis within this sector.

I have been impressed with the amount of innovation our New Zealand researchers and scientists have been conducting, including the work being undertaken at Ruakura.

Judith Collins, National MP for Papakura

At the beginning of this month, Christopher Luxon and I made the latest science, innovation and technology policy announcement, by introducing a Biotechnology Regulator, and ending the effective ban on gene editing and genetic modification in New Zealand.

Biotechnology, in particular Genetic modification (GM) and Gene Editing (GE) has made huge advances since its first inception in the 20th century. Biotechnology research has been widely adopted globally, however there are stringent rules and regulations governing genetic modifications of food, products, and medicines in New Zealand.

Biotechnology has enormous potential and opportunities for lowering greenhouse gas emissions, reaching our climate change goals, making New Zealand more prosperous and growing our economy so we can afford our public services.

Our National Party policy will allow field trials of genetic research while continuing to support research in labs. Australia, Japan, the US, the UK, Argentina, the EU, and other developed countries are safely embracing biotech, and our party’s policy is to allow New Zealand to do the same.

National will establish a dedicated biotech regulator to regulate all forms of genetically edited or modified organisms. It will decide whether to approve imports and trials of GE and GM as well as managing questions of ethics.

The cost of living and crime are two issues people here in Hamilton and around New Zealand are really concerned about.

News that New Zealand is now in a recession is extremely concerning.

New Zealand is now in worse shape than many of the countries we compare ourselves with including Australia, Canada and the US, all of which have faced similar global challenges but are continuing to grow.

The simple fact is that Labour has mismanaged the economy and New Zealanders are paying the price.

Labour’s choice to spray the money hose with wild abandon with too little care for results, to so slowly re-open our borders and to ignore the pleas of productive businesses laid-low by a rolling maul of red-tape have made our predicament much worse than it need have.

National will focus on strengthening New Zealand’s economy by delivering better results for Government spending, providing income tax relief for everyday workers and driving the skills, technology and infrastructure needed to support future growth.

Crime has also spiralled out of control under Labour. Retail crime has doubled, gang membership up 66%, violent crime up 33% .

National has announced a number of policies to restore law and order including cracking down on serious youth offenders and gangs.

 Last weekend National announced our plan to make membership of a gang an aggravating factor when it comes to sentencing, so gang members convicted of an offence face tougher consequences for their crimes.

Gangs pose a grave threat to New Zealand society. They thrive by preying on the most vulnerable individuals, peddling addiction, intimidation, and widespread misery wherever they set up shop.

Under a National government, communities like Hamilton will be safer places to raise your families.  

Judith Collins, National MP for Papakura. Email: judith.collinspapakura@parliament.govt.nz

Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this column, ViewPoinare the personal opinions of the writer and do not reflect the views of NewsViews and/or persons associated with it, nor does it ascribe to these in any manner. NewsViews also does not assume any responsibility or liability, if any, arising of the views expressed here.

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