LIFTING Western Australia's draconian moratorium on genetically modified crops is a victory for all Australian grain growers.
The decision ensures the economic might of the nation's largest grain growing state will help to drive and develop new GM technologies suitable for the Australian environment.
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Now it's time for the South Australian Government and Opposition to step up to the line and join the rest of the mainland states in giving farmers the choice of whether to grow GM crops on their land.
As Victorian Agriculture Minister Joe Helper argues, it is "inevitable" that all the mainland states allow GM food crops to be grown, despite the South Australian Government's obstinacy.
South Australian grain growers want the right to grow GM canola.
Western Victorian grain growers want the right to freely transport GM canola to South Australian ports, without the risk of legal action.
But South Australian Premier Mike Rann seems to be stuck in a political wilderness where he must kowtow to Greens and independents who are living in the dark ages.
The South Australian Government has repeatedly argued it is maintaining the moratorium to protect some fictional market advantage.
South Australia's Agriculture Minister, Rory McEwen, claims he wants to protect markets and trade for South Australian products.
Yet repeated grain industry and Federal Government agency analysis has shown no such premium exists.
The fact is that for too long, the Australian grain industry has been on the back foot by GM moratoriums, while our export rivals jumped at the chance to adopt GM technology.
As Rupanyup farmer and pro-GM campaigner Andrew Weidemann says, the moratoria have hindered research and development.
Biotech companies have been deterred from investing in canola research with no path to market, leading to a disadvantage for all Australian grain growers, not just those where the moratoria exist.
The South Australian moratorium may breach Section 92 of the Australian Constitution, which says free trade between states cannot be restricted.
Ironically, this is the same section of the Constitution the South Australian Government is using to mount High Court action against Victoria's 4 per cent annual cap on water permanently traded out of the state to South Australia and the Federal Government.
It seems the South Australian Premier's hypocrisy knows no bounds.
