❓ A WA parliamentary question investigates the Minister for Agriculture and Food's interactions with Monsanto regarding Intergrain share transfer and GM exemption order, including meetings, departmental involvement, and potential support for Monsanto's advocacy campaign. The answer reveals meetings, consultant engagements, and denies planned contributions to Monsanto's campaign.
AnsweredQoN 3016Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to Monsanto’s 19.9 percent investment in Intergrain in August 2010, and consultations regarding the GM exemption order made in January 2010, and ask -
(1) Did the Minister meet with representatives of Monsanto prior to the signing the agreement regarding the transfer of Intergrain shares?
(2) If yes to (1), how often has the Minister met with representatives of Monsanto in Western Australia, since becoming a Minister?
(3) Please provide details regarding the dates, attendees and the subject of each meeting in Western Australia?
(4) Did the Minister meet representatives of Monsanto outside Western Australia?
(5) If yes to (4), please provide details about the dates, attendees and the subject of each meeting?
(6) How many times have the Department’s employees and consultants, met with representatives of Monsanto in the past five years (please identify number of meetings per year)?
(7) Is the Minister or the Department planning to contribute to Monsanto’s education and advocacy campaign, to change the opposition many Australia consumers have to genetically modified food, as reported by
ABC Rural
on 30 August 2010 (
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201008/s2996789.htm
)?
(8) If yes, to (7), in what way?
(9) Did the Department engage any consultants or seek external advice, in the coming to the decisions on the investment and the exemption order?
(10) If yes to (9), -
(a) who were these consultants or external advisers; and
(b) what was the cost of each engagement?
(1) Did the Minister meet with representatives of Monsanto prior to the signing the agreement regarding the transfer of Intergrain shares?
(2) If yes to (1), how often has the Minister met with representatives of Monsanto in Western Australia, since becoming a Minister?
(3) Please provide details regarding the dates, attendees and the subject of each meeting in Western Australia?
(4) Did the Minister meet representatives of Monsanto outside Western Australia?
(5) If yes to (4), please provide details about the dates, attendees and the subject of each meeting?
(6) How many times have the Department’s employees and consultants, met with representatives of Monsanto in the past five years (please identify number of meetings per year)?
(7) Is the Minister or the Department planning to contribute to Monsanto’s education and advocacy campaign, to change the opposition many Australia consumers have to genetically modified food, as reported by
ABC Rural
on 30 August 2010 (
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201008/s2996789.htm
)?
(8) If yes, to (7), in what way?
(9) Did the Department engage any consultants or seek external advice, in the coming to the decisions on the investment and the exemption order?
(10) If yes to (9), -
(a) who were these consultants or external advisers; and
(b) what was the cost of each engagement?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
2 December 2010
Responded by
Minister for Child Protection representing the Minister for Agriculture and Food
Response time
23 days
(1) Yes
(2) Once in relation to the InterGrain share transfer.
(3) 17 May 2010, attendance by Jennifer Ozimkiewicz (Monsanto), InterGrain representatives, the Director General of Agriculture and Food and the Minister's Chief of Staff.
(4) Yes
(5) Minister visited Monsanto in St Louis on July 10, 2009 prior to the InterGrain proposal for Monsanto to participate as a shareholder. Mark Sweetingham (DAFWA) and Scott Mitchell (Chief of Staff) were with the Minister for a general tour of biotechnology facilities and general discussions about corn, soybean and canola breeding.
(6) Department employees met with representatives of Monsanto nine times in 2009 in relation to the 2009 GM canola trials, and twice in 2010 in relation to the Department's GM canola audit program.
Thirty-seven Department employees attended Monsanto's GM canola accreditation in 2009 and 2010.
(7) No
(8) Not applicable
(9) Yes
(10a-b) The consultants were Cochrane Lishman Carson Luscombe at a cost of $24,699.29, Michelle Bos Legal at a cost of $715.25, the State Solicitors Office at a cost of $12,353.18 and the Department of Treasury and Finance at a nil cost.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
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(2) Once in relation to the InterGrain share transfer.
(3) 17 May 2010, attendance by Jennifer Ozimkiewicz (Monsanto), InterGrain representatives, the Director General of Agriculture and Food and the Minister's Chief of Staff.
(4) Yes
(5) Minister visited Monsanto in St Louis on July 10, 2009 prior to the InterGrain proposal for Monsanto to participate as a shareholder. Mark Sweetingham (DAFWA) and Scott Mitchell (Chief of Staff) were with the Minister for a general tour of biotechnology facilities and general discussions about corn, soybean and canola breeding.
(6) Department employees met with representatives of Monsanto nine times in 2009 in relation to the 2009 GM canola trials, and twice in 2010 in relation to the Department's GM canola audit program.
Thirty-seven Department employees attended Monsanto's GM canola accreditation in 2009 and 2010.
(7) No
(8) Not applicable
(9) Yes
(10a-b) The consultants were Cochrane Lishman Carson Luscombe at a cost of $24,699.29, Michelle Bos Legal at a cost of $715.25, the State Solicitors Office at a cost of $12,353.18 and the Department of Treasury and Finance at a nil cost.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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