Therapeutic Products Act Repeal Bill

Members, we now come to Part 2. Part 2 is the debate on clause 7, “Repeal of this Act”. The question is that Part 2 stand part.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like some clarification, first of all, from the Associate Minister of Health the Hon Casey Costello on this. I know it’s just one particular clause, clause 7, so I’ll only be taking one call on this unless further clarification is required.

Can I just check that this is in reference to—and I know this is probably because it’s quite late—the Therapeutic Products Act (TPA), and not in terms of repealing the Therapeutic Products Act Repeal Bill, or is it actually to do with repeal of the current legislation? If it’s the repeal of the current legislation, then we do have an amendment on this, which is to extend the repeal of the Act on the close of not “the 28th day” but “the 128th day” in order to provide further confidence for people and for some of the areas.

I want to address a few submissions in particular. The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board, and the Federation of Women’s Health Council are all concerned that the repealing of the TPA without a replacement might be harmful for the people of Aotearoa and will leave significant gaps in the regulation of medical devices.

So, I guess, just a clarification of what it is repealing, and if it is the one that I think it is repealing, then we have an amendment—if the Minister wouldn’t mind considering extending the close from 28 to 128 days.

I suppose a technical explanation on this is that, effectively, once this Act becomes an Act, it repeals the Therapeutic Products Act and then this Act repeals itself within 28 days, because it’s repealed its Act, so it’s a technical process.

I move, That debate on this question now close.