Monday 10th November, 2025 

Dear Honourable Judith Collins

I write as a biochemistry and Microbiology graduate, specialist in complex emerging issues and leader on NZ Outdoors and Freedom Party to urge you to stop progressing the Gene Technology Bill.

The Bill is strongly opposed by almost all sectors of the community for wide ranging important reasons, including risk to health, the food sovereignty, the environment and our economy.

This is due to the huge disconnect between the hopes and aspirations about what gene technology may achieve and the real-life challenges, risks, uncertainties and resulting consumer resistance.

Its main supporters are those who seek to control our food chain, and scientists and others who are funded to support them.

Gene technology is complex. One gene typically affects many things, and gene expression is heavily affected by "proteomics" i.e. the environment the genes and cells are in. There is no research, or even clear understanding, about how many of the checks and balances on gene expression work or the consequential risks.

Nor is there social licence to release gene technology into our food chain or environment. The NZ public has consistently been strongly opposed since the consultation decades ago.

Please urgently review this and also provide under the OIA:

1) copies of all advice you have received as Minister (whether from government or from international or external sources) about the health, environmental, sovereignty and/ or economic risks, benefits and/ or uncertainties of gene technology

2) any cabinet advice on this issue

3) any questions you have asked for more information on as a result of any of the advice you have received

4) any formal cost benefit analysis or risk benefit analysis of gene technology in NZ

5) any review of the impacts of gene technology in other countries including on Roundup/ glyphosate or other pesticide use, on prices, consumer acceptance and/ or international market access and / or acceptance.

6) please also provide copies of all advice, analysis, questions, lobbying, questions asked and any other information you have about reasons for and against labelling of genetically modified foods.

Please note this is a serious concern that requires your personal attention. I last wrote a similar request to you when you were Acting Attorney General on matters relating to Bill Wilson, to identify for you omissions in the Judicial Conduct Commissioner's decision and urge you to ask the JCC to address them. The omission to do this subsequently resulted in a successful judicial review by former Justice Wilson and more cost for the Crown and the public, before you eventually negotiated to force his retirement.

As you will appreciate, it is accordingly very important to take advice from different perspectives, to identify and address assumptions, before making decisions that may affect us all, to ensure the public interest ( rather than the aspirations of a few) and the future of New Zealand, is protected for the benefit of our people.

Thank you and kind regards

Sue Grey LLB Hons, BSc ( Biochemistry and Microbiology), RSHDipPHI