Richard Di Natale (Victoria, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move Greens amendments (1) and (3) to (6) on sheet 8353:

(1) Clause 2, page 2 (table item 6), omit the table item, substitute:

6. Schedule 6, The day 6 months after the day on which the

Part 2 report of the review provided for in item 51A

of Schedule 6 is tabled in the Senate.

(3) Schedule 6, item 38, page 97 (line 12), omit "may", substitute "must".

(4) Schedule 6, item 38, page 100 (line 5), omit "may", substitute "must".

(5) Schedule 6, item 38, page 100 (line 21), omit "may", substitute "must".

(6)Schedule 6, page 105 (after line 5), after item 51, insert:

51A Independent review

(1) The Minister must cause an independent review to be conducted into the operation of the

amendments made by this Part, including, but not limited to, the effectiveness of the Therapeutic Goods Administration in the handling of complaints about therapeutic goods advertisements directed to the public.

(2) The review must be conducted as soon as practicable after the end of 3 years after this item commences.

(3) The persons who conduct the review must give the Minister a written report of the review.

(4) The Minister must cause a copy of the report to be tabled in each House of the Parliament within 15 sitting days of that House after the report is given to the Minister.

These amendments relate to the pre-approval process, which is an important safeguard for consumers. We think it's critical that it remain. The government, which initially had indicated it was going to abolish the pre-approval process altogether, has decided, after some pressure from the Greens, to amend its own legislation, which was going to be passed as non-controversial legislation. We are pleased there has been a concession. We think it's an important concession, but we think the government needs to go further, and that's why we're moving these amendments.