Winston’s Therapeutics plan is an expensive sham

Friday 15 June 07

Winston’s Therapeutics plan is an expensive sham

The so-called ‘solution’ to the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill proposed by Winston Peters is little more than a sham, said the founder of the consumer watchdog the NZ Health Trust.

Dave Sloan, who has fought the proposed Trans-Tasman Agency proposal for years on the grounds that it will cost consumers choice, says NZ First’s solution is clearly a Trojan Horse.

“Mr Peters said it himself on RNZ yesterday – under his proposal the TGA would have taken over in five years time – this is simply an attempt to con MP’s into giving away control of the sector gradually.”

“What’s more if the Trans Tasman Agency is horrifically expensive, how are we possibly going to be able to fund another locally-based agency operating in parallel?

“It’s insane and it won’t work and we have told Mr Peters that.”

Mt Sloan said the 75% of natural health companies that oppose the Bill would not be fooled, and neither would consumers.

“NZ First has no sympathy for the 2.6 million New Zealanders that use natural products to stay well. Many thousands of these consumers are his voters. He would do well not to forget that,” Mr Sloan said.

ENDS

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