Cowen must learn lessons from Belgium’s experience

THE Belgian experience showed how a perceived threat to public health, intense media coverage, and vested interests of stakeholder groups can be an explosive mixture.

As in Belgium, health, reputations, money, political careers and livelihoods are no on the line here. What our government must avoid is an information vacuum, because speculation will only add to confusion and lead to loss of control by the Government.

Hovering over the controversy is public uncertainty over dioxin, because it cannot be systematically and rapidly detected, the extent of exposure and long-term health effects are not fully known, and speculation will continue over the source of contamination.