Dear Prime Minister, Ministers & Health spokespersons.

I write to formally notify you that I object to and oppose the inclusion of foods, herbs, Rongoa and other traditional medicines and food supplements in the proposed Therapeutic Products Bill. The proposal to regulate foods and herbs and traditional medicines is unlawful, irrational, unreasonable and unnecessary and is contrary to the interests of New Zealanders. I am opposed because: Foods, herbs and traditional medicines belong to the people, not the government. It is contrary to the interests of New Zealanders to restrict affordable access to our foods, herbs and traditional medicines The Bill is too complex and impossible to understand The Bill is a poorly disguised attempt to privatise and block access to natural remedies with layers of costly red tape The Bill fails to recognise the considerable difference in risk between artificial and novel pharmaceutical drugs and natural products and that Pharmaceutical drugs are a significant cause of harm and death, whereas food and herbs are not. New Zealanders need access to natural health practitioners. It is wrong to threaten them with civil and criminal penalties. The NZ Government has NO mandate to reduce or remove our access to cheap, effective herbs, spices and nutritional supplements. This bill stinks of excessive influence of foreign corporations, and weak government that puts their profit ahead of our health
Please take our foods, herbs and other safe, effective, traditional natural health products out of the Therapeutic Products Bill!

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