﻿Question No 5, the Hon Annette King.
Hon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader—Labour) to the Minister of Health:
Does he stand by all his statements relating to the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement?
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Minister of Health): Yes, in particular my statement that Labour
needs to decide whether it supports the TPP or not
and that Annette King should apologise for her scaremongering that people would die
because of the TPP—absolutely outrageous.
Hon Annette King: Supplementary question—[Interruption]
The only people who need to apologise sit over there.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The interjections were certainly not helpful.
I invite the member to continue her line of questions.
Hon Annette King: Will Pharmac under the TPPA be required to allow the pharmaceutical industry
to use evergreening patents—secondary patents held by the owner of the original patent—
which extend monopoly periods for medicines?
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: All I can say is that there will be no change
to our policy settings and therefore no increased costs. [Interruption]
Hon Annette King: Mr Speaker, I did not hear it.
Mr SPEAKER: I am going to invite the member to ask the question again,
and then I am going to ask quite strongly that the interjection level
from the left-hand side quieten considerably so that we can all hear the answer.
Hon Annette King: Will Pharmac under the TPPA be required to allow the pharmaceutical industry
to use evergreening patents—secondary patents held by the owner of the original patent—
which extend monopoly periods for medicines?
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: What I can say is that there will be no necessity
for a change to our policy setting and therefore no necessity
to extend the patent period.
So we do not need to change any policy settings and there will be no increased costs.
Hon Annette King: Has he been told what data protection means
under the TPPA; if so, what impact will such a mechanism have
on a generic manufacturer of pharmaceuticals?
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Yes, I have been told what it means;
and the impact will not mean that we have to make any change
to our policy settings, because the 20-year patent protection period
remains in place and there will be no extension to that protection period.
So there will not be any change in the ability of NZers to access generic medications.
So all your scaremongering comes to nothing.
Hon Annette King: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker.
I asked what the mechanism did to the generic manufacturers of pharmaceuticals—
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member did not. She asked two questions.
The first question was whether he had been told what data protection means,
and that was answered immediately.
Hon Annette King: What analysis of the financial impact
of data protection mechanisms to be used to deliver comparable outcomes
under the TPPA has been undertaken?
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: There has been extensive financial analysis
by experts in the field. The key point is that we do not need to make any change
to our policy settings, and there will be no incurred costs.
So the member going around saying that costs would increase
by a billion dollars is completely untrue.
Hon Annette King: Point of order, Mr Speaker. [Interruption]
Mr SPEAKER: Order! To Dr Megan Woods I say that a point of order has been called.
That means she will remain silent.
Hon Annette King: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker.
You will know that that was an incredibly straight question about what analysis
there had been on the financial impact. He went straight into attacking me personally.
Mr SPEAKER: No, he did not. He went immediately to answer the question
and said there had been extensive analysis, using the words “financial analysis”,
and then went on with an additional answer to the question that was certainly unhelpful,
but the question was addressed.
Hon Annette King: Supplementary question— [Interruption] Oh, come on. Give him a hand.
Will the Government commit to an independent health impact assessment of the TPPA
to be made available before the agreement is signed?
Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: There is going to be an overall national interest assessment,
so that will incorporate those factors.
Mr SPEAKER: Question No 6, Simon O'Connor.
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