More shafting in the name of profit

[ellipsis]

....just had this sent my way....

There is a piece of legislation going through NZ parliament at the
moment called the Food Bill. There is not much information in the
media because the media aren't or can't talk about it. It will be
snuck through faster than a greasy pig while we are on holidays in
January. We need action now to get 50,000 signatures - already nearly
13,000 have signed - not enough and we potentially have less than TWO
WEEKS.

Some parts of this bill involve change that is good. But some parts
are completely insane/horrendous and have the potential to compromise
your health in the future, because they reduce the ability for small
food producers to produce and give away/sell seeds and food. And it
would be policed by Food Officers, not needing a warrant, not
government employees, & apparently having immunity from civil or
criminal prosecution! This is in the legislation!

What is different and particularly offensive about this legislation
is that
it comes under an international rule called 'Codex' or ''Codex
Alimentarius'.

If we go along with Codex NZ then CAN'T CHANGE the legislation in future.

This is what is really appalling about this. It is not Common Law, it is
Napoleonic Code. It hasn't happened before with food and is a quiet
part of Codex that most people don't realise. We would actually have
to get out of the W.H.O. to change this legislation if we didn't like
it -
which is just not a thing governments do. We would be stuck.
So we need to take time on this legislation, not fast track it through
at Christmas time.

What's really shocking about this is that these rules are developed to
say we need 'food safety'. (Because we all know home grown veggies
are worse for us than mass produced stuff?!?) But what they really
intend is to get rid of little producers, small growers and keep the
growing of food in the hands of the big companies. Codex wasn't
designed by governments and independent think tanks. It was developed
by mega corporations - pharmacy, agribusiness, chemical. These laws
were NOT initially drafted by the NZ government, but by lawyers
employed by big international corporates.

We need to stop this legislation as otherwise it will be sneaked
through while people are on holidays in January (which is what

governments always do when legislation is controversial).

Main problems with Food Bill 160-2:
1. Home & small growers who grow small amounts of food and sell
locally NEED to be exempt - they are not.
2. Seeds for cultivation and food seedlings NEED TO NOT BE within
the definition 'food' under the Bill. (This is huge - imagine you not
being able to produce seed and give it away to your neighbours).

Seeds will be 'explicitly controlled substances' (like drugs) -
seriously. Why?
3. Under the Food Bill, Police acting as Food Safety Officers can
raid premises without a warrant, using all equipment they deem
necessary - including guns (Clause 265 -1) (What is the precedent for
this?
Why
is this necessary?)
4. Members of the private sector can also be Food Safety
Officers, as at Clause 243. E.g.. Monsanto employees can raid premises -
including marae - backed up by armed police. (This has never happened
before
or needed to happen).
5. AND Food Safety Officers have immunity from criminal and civil
prosecution. What is the precedent for this?



Go here to sign:


http://www.petitiononline.co.nz/petition/oppose-t he-new-zealand-government-food-bill-160-2/1301
http://www.petitiononline.co.nz/petition/oppos e-the-new-zealand-government-food-bill-160-2/1301%0b


If this link or those below don't work, cut and paste them into your
browser.

[98tls]

Sorry mate but the simple fact is the majority of people fucking everything up for the rest of us re Paua/crayfish are Maori so the more raids on Maraes etc the better,armed or not i couldnt give a shit,looking for veges or not i couldnt care less.I will glady give up a few liberties if it means a level playing field for all.

[Laava]

Plus e-petitions carry ZERO credibility.

[ellipsis]

....I didnt see anything about kai-moana mentioned...thats fisheries stuff....

[98tls]

....I didnt see anything about kai-moana mentioned...thats fisheries stuff....

Thats a typical answer.

[ellipsis]

...typical answer to what?....I can see this as just another way to stop people who grow and subsidise their incomes by selling vegetables, fruit, preserves etc being shafted by the big concerns...much like local authorities banning the use of macro carpa in cladding situations in some areas...mainly due to lobbying of the authorities by the big Carter Holt Harvey etc concerns, because it was cutting ever so slightly into their profit margins...

...if there is anything in it at all....

[onearmedbandit]

I do wonder how many more police the gubbermint intends to employ, or the surveillance techniques they tend to employ to catch me giving some garden seeds to my neighbours. Maybe garden 'tinnie' houses will pop up? Dairies will love the increased tinfoil sales.

[mashman]

More shafting in the name of profit

Linkies non worko (had to remove the space in "oppose-t he" and "oppos e-the")

I will glady give up a few liberties if it means a level playing field for all.

We already have a level playing field... so you're giving up your liberties, and mine, and everyone elses for nothing.

[SMOKEU]

We already have a level playing field... so you're giving up your liberties, and mine, and everyone elses for nothing.

[boostin]

Anyone actually read the bill?

I just had a quick look at it and I can't see seeds coming under the definition of food.

[Edbear]

Anyone actually read the bill?

I just had a quick look at it and I can't see seeds coming under the definition of food.

Very few have read it and most of the opponents I've come across are citing inaccurate propaganda. I also strongly recommend reading it for yourselves before jumping to conclusions.

[mashman]

trollin, trollin, trollin down the river

I fail to see why we don't have a level playing field? They've legislated for it thus far and I'm having trouble seeing what this bill is actually trying to achieve.

[SMOKEU]

I fail to see why we don't have a level playing field? They've legislated for it thus far and I'm having trouble seeing what this bill is actually trying to achieve.

The Maoris will cry that it's their right to grow crops, and cheeky whitey shouldn't have the same rights.

[JustNick]

The Maoris will cry that it's their right to grow crops, and cheeky whitey shouldn't have the same rights.

Hmmm, I have very big doubts that you would have any clues as to what Maori might say.

[Scuba_Steve]

I'm having trouble seeing what this bill is actually trying to achieve.

If it's the one I'm thinking of I can only see it screwing over farmers markets, individual/independent stalls/shops etc in favor of large corporates/supermarkets etc
Seems to be coming from much the same place as that fucking retarded idea couple years back to force sausage sizzles/fundraisers to have health & safety food training certs