New Zealand Harmonization being stopped-

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IAHF Webmaster: Breaking News, Australia, New Zealand, All Countries

IAHF List: Music to my ears! Thought you'd enjoy reading of this rebellion in

New Zealand against corrupt Health Minister Annette King and this mindless

Treaty with Australia which would screw New Zealand's vitamin consumers by

harmonizing NZ law to AU's. Seems that the " Treaty " won't be going anywhere

because

the opposition parties in New Zealand have the votes to kill any attempts to

pass implementing legislation.

Just the same, if I were a vitamin consumer in New Zealand, I wouldn't take

anything for granted! Contact your MP RIGHT NOW in opposition to this Treaty!

http://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/hotnews/3ch1173540.html

Pro-Supplement MPs May Block Trans-Tasman Regulatory Plan

Posted on: 12/11/2003

WELLINGTON, New Zealand--A joint media statement issued by the Ministers of

Health for Australia and New Zealand announced the governments signed a treaty

on Dec. 10 establishing a single, bi-national agency to regulate therapeutic

products, including medical devices, pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter (OTC)

drugs and complementary medicines. However, concerns among the natural health

community in New Zealand may stymie attempts to implement the regulation.

Trish Worth, the Australian Parliamentary Secretary for Health, said in the

media statement that the agreement is the result of years of collaboration and

consideration between the Australian Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA) and

New Zealand's Medsafe. " [it] represents a significant advance in trans-Tasman

regulatory co-operation and will effectively integrate the therapeutic products

regulatory systems of both countries, comprising an unprecedented level of

international cooperation, " she said. Once the treaty is signed, both countries'

parliaments must approve it and implement legislation to revamp existing

regulatory structures. Current plans are for the Trans-Tasman Therapeutic

Products

Agency to commence operation in July 2005.

The agency will function in a manner similar to the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration (FDA), with responsibility for pre-market evaluation, product

licensing, post-market surveillance, manufacturer licensing and standard

setting.

According to information from the the new agency's project Web site

(www.jtaproject.com), there would be no significant changes in the regulation of

prescription and OTC medicines, which are similarly regulated in both countries.

However, because there is to be " no lowering of standards " and because

regulation of

supplements is much stricter in Australia, the plan would significantly impact

how dietary supplements are regulated in New Zealand. In the agency's report,

it noted New Zealand consumers would benefit from the change, as they would

" have confidence in the safety and quality of the products they use. "

Discussions about establishing a joint agency date back to the late '90s; in

2001, Annette King, New Zealand's minister of health, publicly acknowledged

the countries were debating the benefits of such a regulatory scheme. King has

championed the proposal since that time, despite concerns from the natural

health community about the possible impact on complementary medicines. In a

commentary published in the Dec. 10 New Zealand Herald (www.nzherald.co.nz),

King

noted the public " outrage " about how regulation of supplements would change, but

said the concerns stem from " New Zealanders not being adequately protected

from therapeutic products or dietary supplements that have been found to cause

serious injury and even death. … The safety of New Zealanders from products

that make unsubstantiated or false claims, or from harmful products that

masquerade as dietary supplements, is the government's priority. "

Whether this has been the government's priority in the past is the major

question posed by industry members and some legislators. In September 2001--in

response to a petition filed by Sue Kedgley, Member of Parliament (MP) for New

Zealand's Greens party --the Health Committee of the New Zealand House of

Representatives convened an inquiry into the trans-Tasman agency proposal. On

Dec.

10, 2003, Steve Chadwick, chairman of the committee, presented the results,

which overwhelmingly recommended removing complementary health care products,

such as dietary supplements, from the purview of the trans-Tasman regulatory

agency. Instead, it asked the New Zealand government to strengthen domestic

regulation of dietary supplements, noting current regulations have not been

enforced

in this area.

However, the committee report apparently did not influence King, who signed

the treaty regardless. In response, MPs from the National, ACT, Greens, New

Zealand First and United Future parties held a joint press conference the next

day announcing their parties would not vote for legislation resulting from the

treaty that would affect regulation of complementary health care products. The

government, consisting of the Labour and Progressive Coalition parties, needs

the support of legislators from one of the dissenting parties or it won't have

enough votes to pass the necessary law. Kedgley said the committee and

petitioners were " offended at being shafted, " according to the New Zealand

Herald.

For Health Freedom,

C. Hammell, President

International Advocates for Health Freedom

556 Boundary Bay Road

Point , WA 98281-8702 USA

http://www.iahf.com

jham@...

800-333-2553 N.America

360-945-0352 World

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