Tony Ryall MP
National Party Health Spokesman

16 July 2007

Failure of bill shows Labour is lame duck Govt

The failure to get the numbers for its Therapeutics Products and Medicines Bill shows that the Labour Government is increasingly a lame duck government, says National Party Health spokesman Tony Ryall.

"This is the ultimate humiliation for this arrogant Labour Government.

"From the get-go Labour never listened to the legitimate concerns the complementary medicines industry, and other political parties, had about this bill.

"Labour Ministers were arrogant; thinking that with enough brow-beating, the opposition to this bill would just fold up and go away.

"They were wrong, but I hold little hope that Labour actually gets what's gone wrong here.

"It's their failure to listen to any of the concerns held by National or anybody else that has resulted in Labour parking this bill through lack of support.

"Labour's announcement today shows the Labour Government is losing control, and is in its dying days."

ENDS