Fenton Darien: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Fenton Darien: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 24 July 2007. Volume:640;Page:10591. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
1. DARIEN FENTON (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of State Services 
: What reports has she received following the announcement of suspension of work on the trans-Tasman joint therapeutics agency legislation? 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of State Services) 
: 
 I have seen the report of the Advertising Standards Authority released late last week that upheld complaints about the supplement published in the  
New Zealand Herald  
and the radio advertisements played on Newstalk ZB both of which were sponsored by the New Zealand Health Trust. The authority found that these advertisements were misleading non-factual and designed to instil fear. In fact the complaints were upheld in all regards. Examples of the lies told are: “60% of New Zealand made supplements and vitamins would be forced from the shelves” “prices will increase between 20% and 100% under a joint Tasman regulator” “494 pages of ‘safety’ legislation yet no one has ever died from supplements.” “Clearly this information was false and made with no evidence to support the misleading claims …”. This decision epitomises the misinformation and lies that a minority of opponents used to pervert the democratic process. Further I think it is a sad commentary that John Key and the National Party were so pathetic that they were taken in by these lies and this misinformation. 
Darien Fenton 
: Has the Minister seen any further reports regarding this issue? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I have seen the report in the  
Weekend Herald 
 written by Catherine Masters in which Dr Graham Sharpe the President of the New Zealand Society of Anaesthetists stated that a small but loud sector hijacked the bill by “telling lies” and by Opposition politicians who gave in to political point-scoring. I also read the comments of Michelle Beckett who speaks for around 80 percent of the complementary medicines sector. She said: “One of the big pieces of misinformation out there was that hundreds if not thousands of products were going to disappear from the shelves.” This is the same piece of information that was still being peddled in this Parliament last week. 
Gordon Copeland 
: Why did the Minister before suspending work on the trans-Tasman agency not take her modified proposals out by way of a roadshow to the tens of thousands of New Zealanders who strongly opposed the original legislation and instead rely on attempts to stitch a “we know best” deal together here in Parliament or does she continue to believe that the opinion of the people should be ignored in these matters? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: No because I had the word of that member that he intended to vote for a two-tier system. But after he went to the National Party he informed me himself that the National Party said he could not vote for it. 
Darien Fenton 
: Has the Minister seen any commentaries on the Government’s decision to suspend work on the trans-Tasman joint therapeutics regulator? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Yes I have seen the comments of leading political commentator Colin James under the heading “Key ditches the Aussies for easy populist politics” published in the  
New Zealand Herald 
 today. He notes: “John Key’s first act in foreign affairs has been to give Australia the fingers.” He also alludes to the complete failure of leadership on this issue and went on to state: “He might have emulated his search for consensus on the smacking bill—or at least mandated one of his dissenting MPs to make up the majority. But unity is his prime preoccupation. And populist politics is easier politics.” John Key would not even let poor old hapless Gordon Copeland vote for the bill of which he proposed a two-tier system. I seek leave to table the Advertising Standards Authority’s decision of their meeting of 10 July 2007. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. Last week the Minister Annette King announced after the shelving of the Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill that she no longer had responsibility for this issue and it was being passed to Pete Hodgson. I wonder how it is that the Government only a week later can direct questions to the Minister on the diatribe we have just heard? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Speaking to the point of order Madam Speaker I say that I retain this responsibility until the Prime Minister says I do not. At this stage I have the responsibility and it is right that I answer the question. In fact I dispute the comments that member Dr Smith made about a diatribe; it happened to be the truth. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: If members refer to the Order Paper they will see that the bill is still in her name.