Letters to the editor - May 14

But after the Victorian government lifted the genetically-modified crops moratorium and my neighbour began growing GM canola next to my farm at Duchembegarra in western Vic, my paddock was contaminated.

His GM canola washed up to 300 metres onto my property, contaminating my land and removing my choice about how to use this paddock for years.

GM canola seeds can continue to germinate for a decade. On top of that, instead of being compensated for my losses and expenses, I was the one who had to pay for the clean-up. My relationship with my neighbour has never been the same.

What I discovered when I received a letter from the seed and agrochemical company is that they are fully aware and acknowledge that "crop movement between farms due to flooding, and otherwise, occurs routinely".

They know that GM contamination will occur, but don't take responsibility for the costs.

Instead, the company transfers their legal liability onto the farmers that grow their GM crops. That means when the contamination occurs, like it did on my place, neighbour is pitted against neighbour and no one wins.

I'm aware SA Minister for Primary Industries Tim Whetstone has repeatedly lifted the SA GM crops moratorium, despite the SA Parliament voting to put it back in place.

I'm also aware that he rejected proposals to change the law so that non-GM farmers like me, who suffer economic loss or harm when GM contamination happens, can only be compensated by suing the owner of the seeds - the multinational agrochemical corporations.

Patent owners reap most of the benefits so they should be required to pay compensation for GM contamination. It is the polluter, not the polluted, who should pay.

Given that only a handful of graingrowers actually want to grow GM crops, putting the rest of the SA farming community and food producers at risk, it makes you wonder why the minister is pushing so hard to let this happen. And why is he looking after the financial interests of the multinational corporations rather than SA farmers?

GM crops are not the panacea that we're continually being told they are. Despite years of promises, GM crops with useful traits such as higher yields, drought and salt tolerance, and nitrogen fixation in grains have not been created.

Just two traits, Roundup tolerance and built in insect toxins, in four broadacre crops - cotton, canola, corn and soybeans - are now of limited use.

Many weeds are already glyphosate tolerant while pest insects soon tolerate Bt toxins, which are produced all season throughout the plants.

GM canola and safflower are the only GM crops ready for growing in SA.

GM wheat is not commercially grown anywhere in the world as there is zero tolerance for it in global markets.

In recent years, the United States and Canada lost millions of dollars when GM contaminated wheat shipments were rejected in Asia.

This is a huge risk to our agricultural sector and it's a risk not worth taking. But, that's the path down which Mr Whetstone wants to take farmers. It's now over to Premier Steven Marshall and the SA Parliament to stop this madness.

The federal government has been loudly criticised, by all and sundry, for not providing a $1.4 billion lifeline to Virgin Australia.

Little mention has been made of the fact that Virgin Australia had a $5b debt prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that it is 90 per cent owned by overseas interests.

Governments cannot be held responsible for propping up every unviable private enterprise with hard-earned taxpayers' money.

Making an allowance for one financially-stricken company will ultimately be followed by a plethora of claims from other enterprises in the same predicament.

Being placed into voluntary administration may allow a possible sale to occur and for sustainable financial restructuring decisions to be investigated and put into place.

The Virgin Australia board was responsible for allowing the debt to increase and needs to take greater responsibility for any future decisions.