Call off Mass Medication

Call off Mass Medication

Consumer health choice advocacy group Health Freedom NZ (HFNZ) supports the call by the President of the Bakers Association for Minister Kate Wilkinson to delay implementation of adding folic acid to our daily bread. If the Prime Minister himself said he didn't think Australia would mind if we opted out of the scheme, "It begs the question, why are we pushing ahead with something neither the government, the bakers industry nor 87% of New Zealanders want, is that sound practice?" asks spokeswoman for HFNZ Nicola Grace.

"Mass medicating four million New Zealanders against a disease that rarely effects New Zealanders is immoral. It is also an ineffective way of combating NTD", she continues. "Why should men, young children and women who can't have, or have no plans to conceive take medication meant for a few pregnant woman? We can assume the industry that produces folic acid and very few others".

While there are issues of ethics, efficacy, economics and safety, there is another issue that seems to have been lost. "That we are having to do something because the Australian bureaucrats say so, is not acceptable to those who vote governments in and out in this country. The issue of food and health sovereignty is not going to go away so we might as well face the music now with this issue and show the rest of the world who is boss in this country. We'd like to think it is our elected officials acting on behalf of those of us who have voted them in to power. Not a foreign country's bureaucracy, or those businesses profiteering from the mass sale of folic acid." Says Ms Grace.

In 2006 HFNZ launched a campaign against the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill, legislation that would have created another Joint Agency with Australia. Some of the main objections then were the loss of health freedom and the issue of sovereignty, that New Zealand would not have equal representation and that successive governments would not have the ability to overturn any decision of previous governments. "The previous Minister of Health, Annette King, was responsible for this mess, and now here we are facing the very same issues with another of her bad decisions. As was the case with the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill, this Minister did not consult with the people of this country.

Now we have a new Food Safety Minister and Prime Minister who agree the scheme will not work, who say Australia won't mind if we "opt out", who want to offer choice to the people, but will follow the law as it was set down by Annette King anyway. It should apply good sense instead of a process that was flawed from the outset.

If we are going to be entering into joint agreements with other countries we must ensure that we are indeed equally represented and that in the advent of us changing our mind in light of new evidence or governments, that we have the right to do so. And if the law does not make provision for New Zealand sovereignty and the ability to correct poor decisions then we must change the law.

Prime Minster and Minister Wilkinson, we urge you to "make that call please" asks Ms Grace. "We call on the government to represent the people of this nation, rather than Australian bureaucrats and big business interests". Health Freedom supports Minister Wilkinson picking up the phone and saying on behalf of the New Zealand people that they have no option but to postpone implementation on folic acid in our bread until further review. If this Government does not accurately represent the majority of New Zealanders in this issue, HFNZ will have no option but to take to the streets and protest. We hope that it doesn't come to this. HFNZ in co-operation with other organisations have organised a Nationwide Protest Action on Saturday 15th August 2009, 1pm.

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Our specific objection to this form of mass medication can be reached at http://www.healthfreedom.co.nz/safe-food.html

ENDS

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