Dear Friends
In a press release yesterday, our local MP in Northland Winston Peters, leader of the NZ First Party and former Deputy
Prime Minister has asked that the Natural Health Products Bill be scrapped. This Bill would have a huge effect on the
availability of supplements including Ayurveda Products which would have been hard hit by the proposed restrictions on a
very wide range of herbs that have already been implemented in Australia. Research has laid bare the real basis of the
bill which is principally supported by commercial and narrow interests with a largely allopathic view of medicine backed
up by international alliances. So I want to thank NZ First for carefully examining the issues and responding publicly
and unambiguously to scientifically based submissions to Parliament which have been widely shared. I am also happy to
announce that the Green Party health spokesperson, the Maori Party, and Act have expressed similar views in private
meetings. In addition, the ruling National Party was responsible for dropping the Bill to the bottom of the order paper
after similar lobbying, we now hope that they drop the Bill completely in response to the widespread pressure from
Natural Health practitioners, genuine suppliers and manufacturers.
This shows how detailed lobbying based on science can be successful and opens the door to future lobbying to ensure
positive support of natural alternatives supported by sound science.
All the very best
Guy