From Zheng Yong –
You’ll want to oppose the Natural Health Products Bill …. It is outrageous – and, luckily, very easy to read. Let’s try to bring it down. What’s wrong with the NHP Bill itself?
It makes it illegal without a licence to prepare, share or administer anything (that isn’t presented as “food”) that’s made from plants, vitamins, minerals or anything else natural and may have any of the following material health benefits:-
The maintenance or promotion of health or wellness; nutritional support; vitamin or mineral supplementation; affecting or maintaining the structure or function of the body; effective treatment of any self-diagnosed or self-managed condition.
Now, go back and read that again!
You’ll be liable for a $50,000 fine for doing any of the above, even for yourself. No more home-grown camomile tea to make you sleep better. No more practising of traditional Maori medicine without a government ticket, which can be denied or revoked. No more home-made manuka oil to put on your cuts. No more using your granny’s remedies from the herb garden. None of this without permission, fees and rules, or you face massive fines and possibly jail. Sound familiar?
Now, you may not actually do these things. But you may wish to retain the right to do so. You may also wish to use any of these products or services in future. But under the NHP Bill they will be more expensive and much harder to find, because most practitioners / producers will be regulated and compliance-costed out of existence.
Don’t take our word for all this. Read the bill. It’s very easy to read, unlike the Food Bill, and easy to see the intent. It is the same intent as the Food Bill. The government wishes to own what goes into you (and thus own you). They say it is all for your safety, of course. Do you still believe that?
Take note: The Natural Health Products Bill was, like the Food Bill, passed at a first reading UNAMINOUSLY. EVERY MP voted for it. And the bill itself was a proud product of cooperation between the Green Party and National.
Are you getting wise to the Green Party yet? And are you getting wise to Parliament itself? The NHP bill is here: legislation.govt.nz/bill/government
In reading the NHP Bill, pay close attention to sections 5 (definitions), 6 (what is a natural health product), 20 and 21 (powers of the new health police) 28, 29 and 30 (requirements for licensing) 37 and 38 (penalties), 45 (delegation of powers to corporations), 47 (regulations applying to licensed practitioners – these will be CODEX regulations) and LAST BUT VERY IMPORTANT the Schedule of “Suitable classes of substances”… this is basically everything you ingest that is not food (which is already covered by the Food Bill) – so plants, extracts thereof, minerals, vitamins, amino acids etc that are taken to promote wellbeing. The stuff that, along with food itself, is essential for your life.