Rich Katherine: Medicines (Specified Biotechnical Procedures)  Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Rich Katherine: Medicines (Specified Biotechnical Procedures)  Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:625;Page:20600] 
KATHERINE RICH (National) 
: 
 I pay tribute to the member who has just resumed her seat Heather Roy because she made an extremely important point. One expert whose advice she has had access to says that xenotransplantation— 
Jill Pettis 
: What do you know about science? 
KATHERINE RICH 
: I would keep quiet if I were that member. Her outbursts have put her Government in a difficult position vis-à-vis Mr Benson-Pope. The ACT member made a very important point that xenotransplantation is as risky as going to the zoo. The members of the Health Committee did not know that because we were not allowed to call any expert opinion. We were not allowed to ask for any submissions on this point. The bill was rushed through because the Government put political expediency ahead of the people of New Zealand who are waiting for this kind of technology. We were not allowed to ask the tough questions about— 
Jill Pettis 
: It’s funny that the case came from Dunedin. It’s no coincidence. 
KATHERINE RICH 
: There goes the fishwife; she is singing again. She should watch her outbursts. She got her colleagues into a lot of trouble last week. We do not know what the kidney societies think about this bill we do not know what Diabetes New Zealand thinks about this bill and we do not know what the Royal Society of New Zealand thinks about this bill because the select committee was not allowed to ask them. We were not allowed to ask any of the companies involved in undertaking this kind of research. We were not allowed to ask any of the scientists undertaking this kind of research. The general public has been locked out of having any consultation on this bill at all. 
The Minister in the chair the Hon Damien O’Connor has to explain why. Can he explain to the kidney societies why they were not allowed an involvement in the development of this bill and why people see this moratorium being extended for another 2 years for no reason? If the Government comes up with any reason it is fear and ignorance. There is certainly no scientific backing for the extension of the moratorium. The Minister in the chair might like to explain his views on this bill. I am sure that having travelled the country he has spoken to many of the associations and organisations that I have just listed. I think that the public will be pretty angry that they have been locked out of this process because it will have a huge impact not only on our scientists but also on all of those people who are waiting for the treatments and operations that could come as a result of this scientific work. 
Some of the consultation being done by the Bioethics Council is odd in the extreme. It is looking as part of its consideration at the cultural ethical and spiritual aspects of xenotransplantation. I cannot think of any spiritual aspects. If there are cultural aspects it should be noted that the individual patient has a choice about whether he or she wants to have a particular treatment or operation. These sorts of things are not compulsory but New Zealanders who are interested in the outcomes of this kind of work should be able to choose to have access to it. 
We did not hear from any of the scientists who are working in this area. What impact will this moratorium have on the work they do? If they want to continue to be at the forefront of scientific endeavour will they have to go offshore just as Diatranz did? What will the impacts of extending this moratorium be? Once again the Minister in the chair is silent because he does not know. Certainly I am ashamed to say the select committee does not know either because it was not allowed to ask any of those questions. The bill was just slipped through at I believe a conspicuously suspicious pace. 
So the public will be upset. As Heather Roy has said the expert she was able to consult said that these processes are as dangerous as going to the zoo and he followed that up by saying he did not think that going to the zoo was very dangerous either. So that begs the question—