Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health Administration) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the opposition I will make a reasonably short contribution to indicate that the opposition supports the Therapeutic Goods Amendment (2009 Measures No. 2) Bill 2009 as a non-controversial bill. Our attitude to this bill is similar to previous TGA bills we debated in recent times. It continues the reforms which were commenced under the Howard government and which were delayed by the withdrawal of New Zealand from the development of a joint regulatory arrangement in 2007.

We support the ongoing streamlining and improvement of the regulatory processes surrounding the TGA, which is of course one of the important pillars of our healthcare system. There has been general support for the principles underlying this bill; however, there has been some significant concern—and this has been a consistent theme coming through in relation to these TGA bills—about the lack of quality in terms of the consultation processes. We really do urge the government to take heed of this. We know that they have given some assurances that there will be further and ongoing consultation as these measures are implemented.

This bill will do a number of things. It will separate the scheduling of medicines from the scheduling of poisons. It will give the secretary of the health department the power to preclude certain uses for medical devices on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. There is a series of other amendments, which include provisions for greater consultation with the Gene Technology Regulator on genetically modified organisms and various changes to offence provisions. And, of course, there are some provisions empowering the Minister for Health and Ageing to specify advisory statements on specific medicines.

The opposition flags that we have had discussions with Senator Xenophon, who has circulated a series of amendments. We will not be supporting the amendments in relation to consultation and changes to the medicines scheduling committee. However, the opposition will be supporting a proposal to conduct a review of the operation of this bill at a time to be specified in Senator Xenophon’s amendment. So, as I said before, we consider this to be largely a very non-controversial bill. It is part of ongoing reforms that have been taking place for some time. We urge the government to make a serious effort to improve the quality of the consultation that takes place around measures like this. That is an issue that was also picked up by the Senate community affairs committee in their report. So, with those few remarks I indicate the opposition’s support for this bill. (Quorum formed)