A Fantastic Creative Opportunity in 2009
The result of the 2008 election has presented the New Zealand Health Industry (Natural HealthCare) with the most creative opportunity in the history of the New Zealand parliament to at long last secure practical sane and sensible legislation covering Natural HealthCare in place of the present draconian, dictatorial and persecutory Medicines Act of 1981.
The political makeup of our new parliament is such that there is a clear majority of parliamentarians who are members of political parties constituting the new government that have in the past supported the New Zealand HealthCare Industry.
During the last three years the Labor Government was in power with a majority of one and with this slim majority was unable to coerce enough votes to enact the Australia New Zealand Therapeutic Products Treaty. This (Anti-Vitamin) Treaty was singed by the Honorable Annette King, who was the Minister of Health, without Parliamentary approval. The Treaty at present resides on the Parliamentary table, waiting either enactment or more appropriately removal and consigned to the dustbin of history.
None of the pre-election pundits predicted that the National Party would achieve a majority to form a government in their own right. National has entered into a coalition with the Act party, the Maori Party and the United Future party and is incorporating them in government administrative positions which present National with a clear mandate to govern.
With speed and decisiveness, National has been exceptionally quick to take up the reins of government immediately and not wait until the New Year and the February swearing in of Government. The speed and decisiveness of National are reminiscence of the first 100 days of the John F. Kennedy administration. The International financial meltdown is possibly been a major factor in the speedy approach of National.
National basically embraces a policy of the minimum amount of regulation, or put another way it traditionally refrains from supporting regulations that will obstruct or hinder economic development. Keeping in mind that the economic meltdown has occurred primarily through the fact that Banks, Hedge Funds and Financial Institutions have not been controlled by adequate regulations and most importantly accountability it will be interesting to sit back and observe the fine line between too little and too much regulation in relation to these key institutions. New regulations are required now to ensure that the same events are not repeated in the future.
There can be no doubt that the economic meltdown will have a serious effect on every aspect of life. The key activity of the new government will be to rebuild the economy without repeating the mistakes of the past and not only make the key institutions economically responsible but also socially responsible.
Rebuilding the Economy
A prime factor of the economy is New Zealand’s ability to produce a sustainable level of Gross Domestic Product. As well as adequate available finance there is another factor which under successive governments has been completely overlooked. This key factor is the health status of all members of our society.
An optimum health status in a developing child ensures the preparation of the mental capacity to be of benefit to society in the ever expanding technological era.
The health status of a youth and an adult with a minimum time absent from work saves millions of dollars in lost production and reduces the load on our over funded and underperforming public health system.
The health status of the elderly and the reduction of preventable degenerative disease conditions not only further reduces the load on the public health system but most importantly allows for further participation in the beneficial formation of society through the active engagement in those areas of society that need assistance (voluntary organisations) which are not paid for by government.
A society with an optimum health status could well contribute 20%-40% to improving the economy while at the same time reducing public health expenditure.
Perhaps an improved heading for the above section could be “Economy and Health 101”
but then we would have to present a full 10,000 word dissertation. Hopefully the extremely short summary will alert the reader as to the importance of health status and its relationship to the economy. In the final analysis, the lack of optimum health status is a major break on achieving economic potential.
The Anti-Vitamin Treaty
An increasing number of New Zealanders are taking care of their own health status by the utilisation of Natural HealthCare therapies.
It could be expected that a perspicacious government would encourage this movement towards proactive self health care. However, in the nine years of the Labor party reign the government took every effort possible to inhibit the development of Natural HealthCare. This resulted in Labor pushing forward with the Australian (Anti-Vitamin) Treaty against all opposition from the 135,000 New Zealanders involved in Natural HealthCare and the general public. Even during the last session of parliament Labor Ministers were making statements regarding Natural HealthCare which were in fact, to put it mildly and politely, constructive inexactitudes.
The New Zealand Charter of Health Practitioners Incorporated was the first organisation to raise the warning alarm in regard to the Australian Treaty and it has been a long, costly and time consuming campaign. Burning the midnight oil, meetings with Medsafe and Australian Administrators, meetings with Ministers, individual members of parliament, other health industry groups and the general public has created a very exhausting and debilitating time. However, it has all been worth while as today we stand on the threshold of a new deal for Natural HealthCare therapies.
The Green Party has been in the forefront and actively opposed to the Treaty since its inception some seven years ago. At the 2005 election the National party adopted an Anti -Treaty policy. The Parliamentary Select Health Committee Submission Hearings on the Treaty resulted in Act, Green, National, New Zealand First and United Future all voting against the implementation of the Treaty which was signed by the Honorable Annette King two days before the Select Health Committee were due to present their unanimous decision which included Labor party representatives voting against the Treaty.
The Fantastic Creative Opportunity for 2009
The Health Industry and Natural HealthCare Practitioners will be meeting with key members of government with a view to collaborate on sane and sensible legislation that will complement New Zealand’s unique situation and entrench, not only the “freedom of choice in health care” and the continued availability of Natural HealthCare therapies and dietary supplements that combat the deficiencies in our diet of key nutrients, and also importantly, suitable potency strengths to act as corrective factors for degenerative disease conditions.
As our work in this area progresses we will report to our members through this newsletter as well as other methods of communication.
The results of this election are such that for the first time in New Zealand’s history that, “today we stand on the threshold of a new deal for Natural HealthCare therapies”.
We also look forward to a future filled with Health, Wellness, Vitality and Prosperity.
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