The NZ government is negotiating with the Australian government to create a single Trans-Tasman Therapeutics Agency (TTGA), based in Canberra, which will regulate all New Zealand dietary supplements and other complementary healthcare products like homoeopathy, Chinese herbs etc, along with medicines and medical devices.

Of enormous concern is the fact, the present Labour Government is intending to agree to this radical new Trans-Tasman regulatory structure before there has been public debate about the proposed changes, or any debate in Parliament about whether New Zealanders even want these changes.

Instead, Labour is intending to sign a treaty in the next few months, between the New Zealand and Australian governments, agreeing to set up this new Trans-Tasman Agency. Unfortunately, in New Zealand, treaties do not have to be debated or ratified by Parliament, so the treaty can be signed by the Cabinet without the agreement of any other party in Parliament. Once the treaty is signed and details effectively decided, Labour will then introduce legislation into our Parliament to ratify the treaty.

The regime the Australians have set up to regulate therapeutic goods is prohibitively expensive and has already resulted in the closure of dozens of small Australian businesses which used to produce dietary supplements and other therapeutic products.

Already, under ANZFA, New Zealand consumers have lost effective control over the food they eat. Decisions about the food we eat are made in Canberra, by a body dominated by Australians. As consumers, all we can do is send written submissions to ANZFA. New Zealanders sent thousands of submissions to ANZFA opposing the introduction of genetically engineered foods, but all of them were ignored.

To make matters worse right at the moment, legislation supported by the Australian Prime Minister, is being debated in the Australian parliament to change the way ANZFA operates and to allow up to half the membership of the ANZFA Board to be filled by the food industry. Unbelievably here in New Zealand, we do not have any right to debate - or oppose - these changes which will fundamentally change the way decisions about our foods are made.

Once again, the details will be signed off by Labour in an amendment to the ANZFA Treaty which will not be debated in Parliament.

These unilateral changes are a breach of our New Zealand sovereignty. We do not want further moves to regulate New Zealand products through a Trans-Tasman Authority. We do not want to lose our sovereignty, lose our independence and lose more small businesses in our country. The Prime Minister must guarantee that the proposed changes, and any treaty ratifying them, are debated on and voted by the New Zealand parliament before they come into effect.

New Zealand consumers need to make their voices heard on these proposals. Be informed, write to the Government and insist that we in New Zealand have the democratic right to decide on any changes which will affect the way our food or dietary supplements are regulated.

Adapted from an Article published May 2001
by Greens Health Spokesperson: M.P. Sue Kedgely
and published in "Healthy Options Natural Health Magazine"