So the health minister (possibly even an un-elected individual given party list rules) can decide at his whim what drugs meet approval standards to be rolled out indefinitely under the guise of what they determine “public benefit”.

I would suggest the truth is what they determine to be “political benefit”. Anyone remember when synthetic drugs were on the market? Remember when legislation couldn’t keep up with the chemists making new drugs?

Remember when the legislation was changed so the manufacturer had to prove the new drug didn’t create any harm before it could be sold? Does anyone know Minister Hipkins medical credentials? How is he fit to determine which drugs are safe when he is relying solely on the manufacturer’s own sales propaganda?

Given the secrecy around supply contracts, how can we be sure there aren’t any conflict of interest, or even plain old fashioned pay-offs? Given the lack of batch serialization, how will the Minister determine and isolate adverse affects of the very drug they approved?

Will the Minister be criminally liable for negligence should the drug they approved kill or otherwise injure someone?

https://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2021/0041/latest/d1444388e2.html?search=ad_act%40bill%40regulation___2021___25_ac%40bc%40rc%40dn%40apub%40aloc%40apri%40apro%40aimp%40bgov%40bloc%40bpri%40bmem%40rpub%40rimp_ac%40bc%40rc%40ainf%40anif%40aaif%40aase%40arep%40bcur%40bena%40rinf%40rnif_a_aw_se&p=9&fbclid=IwAR3U1wJ1YILZl5k76sQbR4fED7FD-ktGVbgLuIcrPMJ4pxJupyQkNV_Wkfs#LMS496436