MPs opposes Minister's plan for trans-Tasman agency

10.00am


A proposal to regulate complementary healthcare products with Australia should not proceed, Parliament's health committee has found.

The committee today released a report into its 15-month inquiry into a proposal to join Australia in setting up the trans-Tasman Therapeutic Products Association.

It recommended the Government should strengthen domestic regulation rather than set up a joint agency.

However, its recommendations come too late; Health Minister Annette King last week announced her intention to sign a treaty with Australia to set up the association. She will sign it with her Australian counterpart tomorrow.

Committee chairwoman Steve Chadwick said the committee had heard submissions from individuals and organisations in New Zealand and Australia during its inquiry.

"While some submitters favoured some form of joint regulation, most opposed the current joint agency proposal," Ms Chadwick said.

"However, most favoured a strengthened regulatory regime in New Zealand.

"We do not believe any joint agency should cover these products at this time as we consider this may be too high a regulatory burden given the level or risk posed by these products."

The committee also favoured a mutual recognition arrangement.

Ms King ruled out heeding the committee's advice, saying there could not be trans-Tasman mutual recognition unless both countries agreed.

"That is not the track that either country decided to go down when we started to develop the work on it," she told NZPA.

"That's their (the committee's) view and that was the view that they went into the select committee inquiry on."

The health committee is chaired by a Labour Party MP and comprises MPs from all parties.

However, Ms King said its outcome was predetermined; the Government did not have a majority on the committee and had objected to it being held.

There had been a lot of scaremongering around the cost of the agency and information would be released tomorrow, after the treaty was signed, which showed it would cost less than having individual agencies, she said.

"It will show that the costs -- and the research is done by NZIER (New Zealand Institute for Economic Research) -- are less than setting up one on our own."

ACT MP Heather Roy said regulating therapeutic products such as dietary supplements would have a huge effect on a strong industry.

"It will make it very difficult for the development and the innovation that the industry currently enjoys," she told NZPA.

The Government's refusal to wait for the select committee findings showed it was arrogant and that they had "absolutely no regard for the select committee process".

Green MP Sue Kedgley said the Government's actions were an insult to the democratic process.

"It's an absolute mockery and a farce. It's a complete, total waste of taxpayers' time and money," she told NZPA.

It also showed the Government did not listen to its own MPs as all the committee's recommendations were unanimous, Ms Kedgley said.

National MP Lynda Scott said having a trans-Tasman agency would increase costs and reduce consumer choice.

"Instead of just keeping her head in the sand and pushing ahead with this, (Ms King) should have actually taken the time to listen," Dr Scott told NZPA.

"There are lots of different ways to do what she says she wants. No one in the industry says that they do not want to have regulation. They're not saying that. They're just saying that going with a trans-Tasman agency is not the way to do it."

- NZPA