Ombudsman to Investigate Ministry of Health delay on PAM Health Issues

The Office of the Ombudsmen will investigate a claim made by Jane Schaverien, spokesperson for Mothers Against Spraying Kids that the Ministry of Health has been too slow in investigating the adverse health effects suffered by people sprayed with Foray48B by MAF.

She complained to the Ombudsman that:

The terms of reference for The Health Department Inquiry into the human health consequences of aerial spraying should have been published weeks ago and the community consulted about those terms of reference and about the composition of the inquiry team

No date has been set by which the report must be completed meanwhile aerial spraying continues

“The Ministry of Health Inquiry”, Jane Schaverien said today, “was announced as a sop, a silencer and a stalling tactic. It is will reveal what we know and the government has acknowledged – the spray makes some people sick. It is outrageous for MAF to continue to spray in the face of reports from independent bodies including the University of Auckland and the NZEI, which reveal serious causes for concern.

Cabinet will decide by May 26th whether to allow MAF to continue aerial spraying hundreds of hectares of hot spots through the winter and blanket spraying thousands more hectares next summer. Ministers must remember, when making their decision, that ‘hot spot’ spraying means aerial spraying of hundreds of hectares plus a drift zone around each hot spot. The consequences of this are suffered by those who live, become pregnant, go to school, child care or work in those areas and not by the cabinet in Wellington.”

Jane hopes the Ombudsman’s investigation will censure, through the Ministry of Health, one small example of the Labour government’s arrogance towards mothers in this matter.

Jane Schaverien MASK (09) 8109071

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