| 13th Mar 2007 |
Mar 13th 2007 5:42pm
NZPA
Parliament BILL LIKELY A DEAD DUCK AFTER FIELD SAYS HE
WON'T VOTE FOR IT
HEALTH-REGULATION 758 words
By Sue Eden of NZPA
Wellington, March 13 NZPA - The future of a new trans-Tasman
regulatory regime for complementary medicines is looking shaky
after independent MP Taito Phillip Field said today he would
oppose the government legislation setting it up.
The bill squeaked through its first reading on a vote of 61
to 60 and has been sent to a select committee for scrutiny.
But without Mr Field's vote, the Government will not be able
to pass the bill into law.
Labour, New Zealand First, United Future and the Progressive
Party voted for the bill's first reading in December while
National, the Greens, the Maori Party and ACT voted against
it.
NZ First supported it at that stage, saying it had gained concessions
before doing so.
Mr Field has promised to support the Labour-led Government
but gave himself leeway to vote according to his conscience
on legislation.
He gave Labour his proxy vote but has not followed the Labour
caucus line on Green MP Sue Bradford's anti-smacking bill.
He also did not back legislation freeing up Easter trading
that was drafted by a former Labour colleague.
But this will be the first time he has flexed his muscles against
government legislation.
Mr Field told NZPA today he considered the Therapeutic Products
and Medicines Bill to be a conscience issue because of the
impact it would have on the health of the many New Zealanders
who used natural health products.
He said he would not vote for the bill because of a number
of concerns -- including that New Zealand's natural practitioners
could lose business, the health products industry as a whole
could lose innovators in the field, products would escalate
in cost, some products would become unavailable here, and that
Australia would likely wrest control of the regime away from
New Zealand.
He also had concerns about the impact on Maori, Pacific and
Asian traditional health practitioners.
"I'm not satisfied that the interests of New Zealanders' health
is being served here."
Mr Field used question time in Parliament today to ask Food
Safety Minister Annette King whether the Government was confident
it had the numbers to pass the Therapeutic Products and Medicines
Bill.
Ms King replied she was working on it, and she offered Mr Field
a briefing on the issue saying he appeared to be misinformed
in some areas.
Mr Field told NZPA he might take up that offer but had already
signalled to Labour's whips that he would not vote for the
bill.
Green health spokeswoman Sue Kedgley said the bill was looking
like a "dead duck" with the Government set to suffer "an embarrassing
defeat" over the legislation.
The Greens have long opposed setting up a joint therapeutics
agency, describing the regime as heavy-handed and one that
would increase the cost of dietary supplements and restrict
the public's access to them.
National health spokesman Tony Ryall told NZPA the Government
was in a difficult position if it could not secure Mr Field's
vote.
"We've made it absolutely clear that the complementary medicines,
natural health products, have to be removed from the regime.
"But certainly it does not reflect well on Annette King's handling
of this that this is what it comes down to."
The regime had huge implications for New Zealanders who used
natural health products, Mr Ryall said.
Official papers showed 60 to 65 percent of natural health products
would be taken off the market under a trans-Tasman regime,
he said.
The bill would set up a new trans-Tasman regulatory regime
for medicines, medical devices and complementary health products.
Under the regime, a joint Australia/New Zealand agency would
regulate therapeutic products.
NZPA PAR sje kk
Credit:NZPA
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