Mark Freeman
A protest against the Therapeutic Products Bill in Wellington at the weekend drew a very positive response from passing motorists.
Nearly 50 people from several freedom groups in the city came together on Saturday to raise public awareness of the legislation. The event was one of a number being held in the capital before submissions on the bill close on March 5.
While some people held signs, the centrepiece of the protest was a 23-metre banner, which read: THERAPEUTIC PRODUCTS BILL AN ATTACK ON HEALTH HATCHARDREPORT.COM. The website referred to is that of Dr Guy Hatchard, who has publicly opposed the bill.
Although the majority of motorists in the slow-moving traffic travelling through Hataitai didn’t react to the signs and the banner, those who did were overwhelmingly positive, tooting and waving, with very few giving negative feedback.
Event organiser and banner co-creator Jimmy* (not his real name) found the level of positive feedback a stark contrast to the many negative reactions he encountered while holding anti-vaccine and anti-mandate signs in 2021. But the Therapeutic Products Bill is not a polarising issue, he says.
“This is more about people’s right to access what they need to be healthy and maintain health, so it’s a great cause to push.”
The bill is an extremely important issue, which affects all New Zealanders in many ways, Jimmy says.
“We have a lot of people who rely on the types of supplements and health products that alleviate pain or increase their health or bring their health to what’s considered normal. But the problem with this bill is it gives a regulator the power to pick and choose what is good and what is not good, and it puts barriers on people accessing these products.”
The positive public response at the protest is a sign that now is a good time for freedom people to stand behind what they believe in, he says, because “a lot of people are starting to see the policy this Government enacted over the last few years wasn’t the best for the average person trying to get by.”
