Petition for the Australian Members of Parliament In re: Directive on Traditional Medicinal Plants Dear Sir or Madam, We call on the Australian Commission to stop the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD), Directive 2004/24/EC, which is set to remove access to the vast majority of herbal medicinal products in Australia . We are aware this is going to be discussed in the coming months in the parliment and steps are already being taken by the government to stop the use of herbal medicine. This abridges the rights of each Australian citizen to self-determination in managing health. It goes far beyond reasonable controls over dangerous products, and enters the realm of coercion by limiting options for treating health issues. We are aware that the pharmaceuticsl companies are pressuring the government and we will be noting who votes and agrees to this agreement. The public's access to herbal products that have traditionally been freely available must continue uninterrupted. I consider that ancestral knowledge of medicine through plants cannot be annihilated solely for the profit of multinational pharmaceutical corporations. This is of huge concern and I would ask you to take into account this danger warning before serious problems emerge. I ask you to put, forthwith, the necessary pressure on the Australian Parliament when this matter is raised so we do not end up like Canada and the EU without the right to choose alternative medicine Kind regards, Yours sincerely,