WEST Australian Liberal Upper House MP Jim Chown has made an explosive allegation suggesting “a person or persons unknown” were responsible for Genetically Modified canola plants arriving onto Kojonup organic farmer Steve Marsh’s property in late 2010.
Under parliamentary privilege, Mr Chown made a 10-minute statement suggesting the GM canola swaths - which triggered a landmark legal test-case in the WA Supreme Court - transferred from Michael Baxter’s farm to that of his neighbour Mr Marsh through a “fraudulent act” rather than natural events.
“Tonight I would like to talk to the house about what could only be construed as a fraudulent act that was carried out,” he said.
Discovery of the swaths sparked the decertification of 70 per cent of Mr Marsh’s organic farm by his certifier the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia (NASAA).
A subsequent landmark legal test-case attracted national and international attention and was comprehensively won by Mr Baxter which included subsequent appeals denying Mr Marsh’s claim for $85,000 in losses due to the decertification.
Mr Chown says he’s using his statement as a means of attacking a current Green’s led inquiry in the WA parliament into the merits of setting-up a compensation fund for GM “contamination”.
More at @ Chown claims Marsh v Baxter GM canola transfer a “fraudulent act” | Farm Online:
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