URGENT! URGENT!! URGENT!!!
THERAPEUTIC PRODUCTS AND MEDICINES BILL
Your submission is needed NOW.
There is little time left to act to retain our freedom to choose the health care we wish. ‘WE’ means everyone who is ever likely to want to choose an alternative to orthodox medicine, or wishes to safeguard that possibility for future generations. Every person in NZ needs to have their say. The effect that this legislation would have is absolutely enormous and we only have a few days left to tell the government what we want. Even if you have sent letters or signed petitions on this a thousand times before it is vital that you now make a submission to the Select Committee which will be making the final decision on this and will only be considering the submissions presented to them, not anything which has gone before. Submissions must be posted to reach Parliament by 7 February so ACT NOW to protect your freedom of choice. FastPost no later than Monday.
SUBMISSIONS ON THE THERAPEUTIC PRODUCTS AND MEDICINES BILL
Required before 7th February 2007.
2 Copies are required.
Addressed to Clerk of the Committee, Government Administration Committee, Select Committee Office, Parliament Buildings, Wellington. No stamp necessary.
Must include your name and a daytime telephone number.
SOME SUGGESTIONS ARE ATTACHED FOR YOU TO USE OR ADAPT:-
1. (Page 2) – Draft submission for Health Consumers.
2. (Page 3) – Draft submission for Natural Health Practitioners.
2a. (Page 4) – Alternative submission for Natural Health Practitioners.
3. (Page 5) – Suggested draft submission for small business operators.
3a. (Page 6/7) – Alternative draft submission for small business operators.
N.B. These are suggestions only to use as you wish to save your time. Use any of the material as appropriate for you and please alter and use your own words and personalize it as much as possible so that submissions are not all the same.
THE FINAL PARAGRAPH OF YOUR SUBMISSION.
It is important that you state that you wish to speak in support of your submission. Only those who have indicated their desire to speak to their submissions will be allocated time to be heard. There are knowledgeable people available to speak who would welcome using your time if you do not wish to attend and speak yourself.
1. SUGGESTED DRAFT SUBMISSION FOR HEALTH CONSUMERS
Submission on the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill to establish a trans-Tasman joint regulator for therapeutic products to replace the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and The New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe).
Dear Government and Administration Select Committee Members,
My name is …………. and I am a health consumer who frequently uses dietary supplements as a matter of health choice for both me and my family.
As a taxpayer, voter and health consumer I am outraged to find that our government is in the process of implementing legislation to enact the Therapeutics Products and Medicines Bill to establish a trans-Tasman joint regulator of therapeutic products.
I am a New Zealand consumer of healthcare products and I reserve my individual right to choose my own healthcare and wellness options to self-medicate to prevent disease and live a healthy successful life.
I do not support the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill currently before parliament, which forms the basis of the joint trans-Tasman Therapeutic Goods Agency, to regulate medicines including natural health and wellness products.
I am concerned of the ramifications of this legislation and I am also aware that those involved in the natural health industry as well as two select committee reports unanimously voted that Dietary Supplements be removed from the joint agency Treaty.
From all the evidence that I have seen it is clear to me that a New Zealand based regulatory system is not only possible it is imperative for the sustainable health of New Zealanders.
This legislation will directly affect my health care options by removing a significant number of safe and affordable dietary supplements from the market place. These important healthcare products my family has had access to for a number of years.
The government has a duty to respect and uphold my sovereign rights and I am angry that I have not been consulted on an issue that directly affects my individual sovereign rights.
I question the ethics and morality of our government to enter into a treaty with a foreign country without consulting its citizens.
Without doubt I cannot see any benefits at all, only consequences of this legislation, therefore I request the select committee to recommend that this legislation not be passed by parliament.
I will speak to my submission if possible when the time and place is established. Otherwise I will allocate my time to an appointed representative to speak on my behalf.
Respectfully
……………………..
2. SUGGESTED DRAFT SUBMISSION FOR NATURAL HEALTH PRACTITIONERS –
Submission on the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill to establish a trans-Tasman joint regulator for therapeutic products to replace the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and The New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe).
Dear Government and Administration Select Committee Members,
My name is ………….. and I am a Natural Health Practitioner and run a small business involved in providing natural health products and services to the public, an enterprise that I have undertaken for the past …. years.
I submit that:
I am deeply concerned and outraged as a small business operator that a number of products that my customers and many other New Zealand consumers have used safely and effectively for years will no longer be available due to the adoption of the therapeutic products and medicines Bill.
I find it abhorrent that the government has failed to consult openly and transparently with the public of New Zealand on this issue which in itself is a breach of their elected responsibility.
I am also opposed to the fact that this agency will result in minimal control by the New Zealand parliament.
I am not opposed to regulation but I am opposed to regulations specifically designed to build a bigger bureaucracy.
I am fully aware that the government has ignored the majority view of the complementary healthcare industry and have instead pandered to a small number of New Zealand exporters who will have a ring-fenced exclusive market devoid of cost- effective competition from small New Zealand manufacturers, importers and distributors.
The Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill currently before parliament threatens to substantially restrict a large number of products currently available to both myself, and my customers. According to the specific white list of permitted ingredients a number of the products that have been available for sale to my customers will no longer be available.
Despite countless assurances by Medsafe officials and Ministry of Health officials that this legislation will provide benefits for New Zealand consumers there is reams of evidence from Australian businesses that this assurance is totally incorrect as the cost dietary supplements have risen up to 35% under the Australian Agency.
I further submit that:
The fact that ninety three percent control of this agency will be in the hands of Australian domiciled administrators is an abdication of NZ citizen’s rights. NZ voters elected a government to look after their interests, including health, not to hand them over to foreign domination.
The passing of this legislation would be an admission that the government of New Zealand is unable to fulfill its ultimate responsibility in ensuring that New Zealand government regulators are competent to regulate the health concerns of the nation?
I will speak to my submission if possible when the time and place is established. Otherwise I will allocate my time to an appointed representative to speak on my behalf.
Yours sincerely,
………………
2a. ALTERNATIVE DRAFT SUBMISSION FOR NATURAL HEALTH PRACTITIONERS –
Submission on the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill to establish a trans-Tasman joint regulator for therapeutic products to replace the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and The New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe).
Dear Government and Administration Select Committee Members,
My name is ………….. and I run a small business involved in distributing natural health products to the public, an enterprise that I have undertaken for the past …. years.
As a taxpayer, business person and health consumer with sovereign rights I do not support the therapeutic products and medicines Bill as it protects vested interests and fails to protect the health and welfare of consumers which regulations are supposed to serve.
I am not against regulations however I am opposed to regulations which threaten not only my sovereign individual rights, but fail to provide any appreciable benefits to the consumer.
This legislation will remove a significant number of products currently available to my customers which will in turn affect my business and deny consumers access to health enhancing products they have used successfully and safely for over twenty years.
Products manufactured by reputable ethical companies have exemplary safety and efficacy standards and any legislation introduced must be commensurate with the low risk nature of the product.
This legislation fails to take into account this evidence and will therefore restrict consumer access to a wide range of health enhancing products that have been available to them for many decades.
The fact that parliaments health select committee has twice rejected this legislation is evidence that the Australian New Zealand Therapeutic Products Agency is not in New Zealand’s best interests.
The legislative document contains numerous regulations in terms of its overall consequences, however it fails to take into consideration the low risk of dietary supplements and the impact this legislation will have on the natural healthcare products industry and ultimately the consumer.
Therefore I do not support this legislation in its entirety and request the select committee to challenge the authority of the joint agency which is clearly not in the best interests of New Zealand and totally remove dietary supplements from the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill.
I will speak to my submission if possible when the time and place is established. Otherwise I will allocate my time to an appointed representative to speak on my behalf.
Yours sincerely
………………………
3. SUGGESTED DRAFT SUBMISSION FOR SMALL BUSINESS OPERATORS –
Submission on the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill to establish a trans-Tasman joint regulator for therapeutic products to replace the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and The New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe).
Dear Government and Administration Select Committee Members,
My name is ……….. and I run a small business involved in distributing natural health products to the public, an enterprise that I have undertaken for the past ….. years.
I have carefully read the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill legislation document to establish a trans-Tasman joint regulator for therapeutic products to replace the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and The New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe).
This document fails to provide any evidence that this legislation will provide consumers with regulations that will protect for their safety. What it does provide for is corporate agendas which despite statements of assurances by government officials to the contrary threatens the health choices available to consumers.
To this I question the integrity ethics and authority of those government officials who have seriously misrepresented their positions.
These officials have completely ignored evidence provided by the natural healthcare industry that a specific New Zealand based system of regulation is not only possible but presents the best outcome for New Zealand industry and consumers.
While government officials strongly dispute that the Australian New Zealand Therapeutic Products Agency system will be predominately Australian, anyone reading the legislation documentation will view clearly that that is effectively the Australian Therapeutic Goods Authority (TGA) system extending its domain to cover New Zealand.
Our government has entered into a treaty with a foreign nation knowing full well that there is strength of feeling against this contentious issue. I question the authority of our government to operate outside of their mandate, which directly affects my individual sovereign rights
My faith in the integrity of the parliamentary process has been seriously shaken by this whole matter. The fact that parliaments Health Select Committee has twice condemned this legislation is evidence that the Australian New Zealand Therapeutic Products Agency is not in the best interests of New Zealand
I submit
In summary I do not support the therapeutic goods and medicines legislation in its entirety and encourage the Government and Administration Select Committee Members of parliament to vote against the implementation of this legislation.
I will speak to my submission if possible when the time and place is established. Otherwise I will allocate my time to an appointed representative to speak on my behalf.
Sincerely
…………….
3a. ALTERNATIVE DRAFT SUBMISSION FOR SMALL BUSINESS OPERATORS.
Submission on the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill to establish a trans-Tasman joint regulator for therapeutic products to replace the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and The New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe).
Dear Government and Administration Select Committee Members,
My name is ……. and I run a small family business involved in distributing natural health products to the public, an enterprise that I have successfully undertaken for the past ….. years.
I have carefully read the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill legislation document to establish a trans-Tasman joint regulator for therapeutic products to replace the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and The New Zealand Medicines
I submit the following:
I am a New Zealand consumer of healthcare products and I reserve my individual right to choose my own healthcare and wellness options to self-medicate to prevent disease and live a healthy successful life.
The introduction of this legislation has caused me personally uncertainty regarding my business operation and the continued availability of nutritional products to both my family and my customers.
This legislation does not provide provision for existing products to be granted with a grand-fathering clause which in itself breaches normal and accepted business practice.
To fail in providing such a clause or provisions in this type of legislation clearly indicates that government officials serve Australian manufacturing corporate agenda and not the interests of the country or the consumer.
Although government officials have continued to assure us that the Australian New Zealand Therapeutic Goods Agency will be beneficial for New Zealand consumers, there is considerable evidence from across the Tasman that the Australian experience is in fact the complete opposite of the statements being made.
Therefore I challenge these officials to provide evidence that both Australian consumers and Australian manufacturers are receiving any benefit from the current Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) system.
Thousands of perfectly safe and affordable healthcare products will be removed from the market place if this legislation is enacted, as they will not comply with the Australian orchestrated/generated “white list” of permitted ingredients.
This is a great injustice both to the New Zealand consumer and those involved in the natural healthcare industry. These products in some cases have been available for over twenty years without any risk of harm, provided by legitimate and ethical companies with exemplary manufacturing and safety standards.
It is clearly obvious that this government is avoiding its responsibility and admitting that our regulators cannot be trusted to competently regulate the affairs of its own people.
To enact legislation which will in effect provide legislative powers to an off shore agency with the power of regulating and controlling the operating procedures of our total healthcare system without significant adequate recourse to parliament is a breach of this governments elected obligation to its people.
I further Submit:
In summary
I do not support the therapeutic products and medicines legislation in its entirety and I request that the Government and Administration Select Committee Members comply with their elected responsibility and have this legislation removed from the table at parliament immediately.
I will speak to my submission if possible when the time and place is established. Otherwise I will allocate my time to an appointed representative to speak on my behalf.
Yours sincerely
…………………….
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