Say NO to The Gene Technology Bill

Warwick from Birkenhead

14,458 New Zealanders made submissions on the Gene Technology Bill — and 14,023 of them (97%) said NO. But more than 4.1 million adults stayed silent. Silence is what allows politicians to ignore us. It’s time to change that.

The Health Select Committee has now released its report. Despite overwhelming opposition, it has recommended the Bill be passed. Why? Because those 14,458 voices add up to just 0.36% of New Zealand’s adult population. For MPs, that makes it easy to dismiss as a “vocal minority.”

👉 This is the reality: even when nearly every submission rejects a proposal, politicians can brush it aside if the wider public doesn’t join in.

So here’s the challenge for all of us — GE-free groups, organic advocates, local food co-ops, health communities, environmental networks: we must raise awareness, mobilize beyond our circles, and make far more noise.

Imagine if instead of 14,458 submissions, there had been 150,000. Or half a million. That would be impossible to ignore.

⚠️ And remember: this is not a done deal. The Bill still has to pass further stages in the House before it becomes law. That means there’s still time to act.

Now is the time to get vocal:
📣 Contact MPs directly
www3.parliament.nz...
💬 Flood social media with concern
🎙️ Use old-school talkback radio to reach those who aren’t online

If we want to protect our food, our farms, and our future, we can’t just rely on a few thousand engaged voices. We need a movement too loud to dismiss.