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NZ
Health Trust
- Newsletter
No 15 - May
2005
It's
time for another
update about what
has been happening
in the fight to
defeat the proposed
Trans Tasman Joint
Agency to regulate
all therapeutic
products.
In
this newsletter
we cover :
- An urgent call
for your support
- TGA
proposed fees & charges
commencing 1st July
05
- Investigate
Magazine article -
May issue
- Media
Release 11th
May 05
- Media
Release 24th April
05 - we
had a very good response
on this
Another
newsletter will be
sent to you soon
regarding the Codex
threat .
REMEMBER: We
need as much support
as possible to prevent
the loss of health
freedoms and choices
the TGA proposal
would impose
on us all.
“URGENT
SUPPORT” CAMPAIGN
PROGRESS
The
urgent support
campaign is going well. We
know that hundreds
of thousands
of New
Zealanders
support our
campaign against
the joint TGA
proposal. If
you want to
have your say
without going
to Wellington yourself
to tell the
MPs of your
concerns and
wishes, click
this link to
add your Support.
http://www.nzhealthtrust.co.nz/urgent_support.php
Many
thanks to those
of you that
have already
done so.
It is vital for MPs to understand just how many people do not want this Australian
based Joint Agency making decisions for New
Zealand.
Click
here http://nzhealthtrust.co.nz/support_forms.html
to
Order pre printed
Forms in bulk – Order
forms for distribution
on mass to friends,
colleagues, customers or
clients.
TGA
proposed fees & charges
increase
The
TGA have announced
that their already
heavy fees are to
be increased again
on 1 July this year. Plus,
they claim that the
complementary medicines
sector has been under
charged for
its share of costs
by about 11%. This
gives a clear picture
of where the fees
are heading and what
NZ businesses could
expect under the
proposed joint regime.
These
increases in cost
are despite the TGA
having current reported
cash reserves of
$AU6.9 million. We
have also been led
to understand that
the Australia Government
intends recouping
the $7 million spent
on harmonisation
costs over five years
commencing in 2006.
Click
here for the proposed
new fees schedule (the
fees are outrageous!)
The
NZHT has been busy continuing
its work to educate others
about this issue and the
threat New
Zealand faces. Set
out below are brief blurbs
from recent articles and
press release along with
a link to get through to
the full text.
WHATS
GOING ON IN OUR HEALTH SYSTEM?
Investigate
Magazine May 05
A report by the New Zealand Health Trust
You've
heard that question
asked so many times
but this is one
story that has
nothing to do with
DHB's, PHO's or
waiting lists. It
asks instead why
it is that products
like Vioxx and
Celebrex make it
on to our shelves
only to be later
recalled because
of serious safety
concerns . And
why the same regulators
that happily allowed
those products
have shown no mercy
toward the natural
health industry
despite its largely
blameless record...
click
here to read
more
Money
won't buy support
for the TGA
Wednesday,
11 May 2005, 11:35
am
Press
Release: NZ
Health Trust
Shameless
waste of money won't
buy support for the
TGA .
Pouring taxpayer
money into sham
consultations,
hiring staff
and appointing
people to cushy advisory committees won't buy Government political support
for the proposed Joint Therapeutic Goods Agency.... click
here to read more
Natural
health sector gearing
up for election battle
Press Release:
NZ Health Trust
The
Labour Government
is being warned not
to underestimate
opposition to the
proposed joint agency
to regulate natural
health products,
with latest independent
research showing
that 62% of New Zealanders
use some form of
natural health product
or dietary supplement.
“That's 2.5 million
New Zealanders, who are
watching what this Government
is planning in the run-up
to the election,” said
Amy Adams, spokesperson
for consumer watchdog
the NZ Health Trust.
“Annette
King
should
not underestimate
these
consumers
- they
care
about their
access
to these
products
and want
the Government
to recognise
this is a main
stream
issue.”
“They
aren't
going
to be pleased
if they
see products
disappearing
from shelves, Kiwi
companies
closing down or
moving
to Australia
and the
right of
the New
Zealand
Parliament to control
the sector overruled
by Australia .”
The natural health product
sector is gearing up
for a campaign against
the Government's proposal
to allow an Australian-dominated
agency to control a huge
range of products including
vitamins, natural health
products, herbal remedies
and mineral supplements.
The
proposed
new agency
has met with near
unanimous
political disapproval – it
is opposed by National,
ACT, the Green
Party, United Future
and New Zealand
First, which means
the Government
currently has not
got the numbers
to pass the legislation
it has promised
Australia it will
enact by the end
of this year.
ENDS
Kind
Regards Dave
Sloan
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