"The costs of lifting the moratorium on GM crops far outweigh the benefits," said Greens' spokesperson on Agriculture Senator Rachel Siewert today.

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Peter McGauran has stated that a new report GM Canola - an information package adds weight to the argument that State Governments should immediately lift their moratoriums on GM crops.

The Australian Greens do not support the introduction of these specific emergency dealing provisions. We have serious concerns about their implications. We may be putting in place a cure that is far worse than the disease or the original problem. The Greens, as many people will know, have some very strong concerns with genetic engineering and its implications for our environment and human health.

"Releasing GMOs without stringent trials is courting disaster," said Senator Rachel Siewert today, on the release of the Greens dissenting report into the emergency provisions of the Gene Technology Act.

"We do not want to create a situation where the response to an imminent threat could end up producing a far more deadly or troublesome situation than the initial problem."

There is a clear difference between the views and concerns expressed by consumers over genetically modified crops - and the presence of GM products or additives in the food chain - and the views of the industry.This is obviously a complicated issue with much unknown, made all the more fraught by the relationship between research funding and the interests of the industry involved - and claims and counter-claims.