Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

conventional, that is the right word, medicine. So this is not actually a representative. The Greens felt that this was an appropriate approach to ensuring that the issues around complementary medicines are included in decision making. Complementary medicines are increasingly becoming part of our healthcare system, as we have been discussing during this debate. So we felt that in fact it was an appropriate approach. The amendment is very clear about it not being a representative; it describes somebody with expertise. Somebody can have expertise in complementary medicine and in fact not be part of the industry or part of a particular commercial approach, if that is what both the government and the opposition are implying. They are implying that somebody may have a vested interest in complementary medicine. There are a lot of people with expertise in complementary medicines who in fact would not be a part of the commercial sector. We thought it was a valid approach and we will be supporting the amendment.

Question negatived.