- Print Friendly - Help

AgVetLink April 2004: Page 8

Previous page  | Contents  |  Next page

---

Staff update

We are pleased to announce that Jodie Trubshoe is back on board after maternity leave. However, Sarah Lester, Assessor (Technical Standards – Plant Compounds), has begun maternity leave for 12 months. Her replacement is Claud Warren who has provided a brief background summary.

‘I grew up in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa and attended the Universities of Natal and Pretoria where I obtained undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in agriculture and horticulture. I worked for 15 years in the South African Department of Agriculture as an agricultural extension officer and horticultural scientist. My wife and I moved to New Zealand in May 1999. I completed a postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration and a Master of Management from Massey University. My interests include listening to music, singing, theatre, sport, walking, counselling, travelling, and enjoying the outdoors. I am looking forward to working within the ACVM Group and being part of the team.’ 

 

Also new to the ACVM Group is Nathan Hinde, Acting Co-ordinator Business Services (ACVM, Dairy & DIF).

‘Born in Auckland, raised in Australia and schooled in Levin, I am now a proud Wellingtonian. After a short stint at Massey University I worked at the Crown Forestry Rental Trust as the Accounts Administrator. I spent six years in the Treaty Claims industry and moved on to the Department of Labour, then to KPMG Consulting. I have many interests, mostly movies, music and sport. I’ve written a full-length feature film script that wasn’t very good and I’m working on another that is much better. I DJ on occasion and have been known to jump on the microphone for a spot of MC’ing. I play touch rugby and dig snowboarding, mountain biking, skateboarding, stair-surfing and whatever else comes my way. I do some freelance videography, most recently a wedding. (I managed to catch everything...except the ceremony, kiss etc...technical problems...I don’t know why they wouldn’t just do take two like I said!)’

Kylie Edwards (Advisor-Operations) has decided to explore new career options and has moved to Melbourne. Her replacement, Rachel Green, has just been appointed.

 

Compliance update

Although most compliance activity concerns veterinary medicines, the ACVM Group at present is investigating a plant compound — the complaint concerns use of non-registered chemicals on produce.

A significant amount of compliance time is spent investigating complaints about advertising. Companies are making claims that have not been approved. Some claims appear to breach sections of the Fair Trading Act 1986, e.g.

s10 Misleading Conduct in relation to goods

No person shall, in trade, engage in conduct that is liable to mislead the public as to the nature, manufacturing process, characteristics, suitability for a purpose, or quantity of goods...

s13 False Representations

No person shall, in trade, in connection with the supply or possible supply of goods or services or with the promotion by any means of the supply or use of goods or services...
(e) Make a false or misleading representation* that goods or services have any sponsorship, approval, endorsement, performance characteristics, accessories, uses or benefits...

Complaints of this type are referred to the Commerce Commission. Recently the Commission has upheld the ACVM Group’s concerns about a company’s advertising and has issued a warning to the company with notice that the Commission will be monitoring the marketplace in future.

The ACVM Group is awaiting the outcome of a similar case with a different company, which has also been referred to the Commerce Commission.

* When the courts are assessing whether or not representations are false and misleading, they consider the consumer’s perception of what the representation is and not the message that the trader intended to convey.

 

PATIENCE

As well as coping with new applications plus ever increasing piles of applications to update registrations etc., we are training new staff. Please be patient.