Sepuloni CarmelORGAN DONORS AND RELATED MATTERS BILLThird ReadingHon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development) on behalf of the Associate Minister of Health: I move That the Organ Donors and Related Matters Bill be now read a third time.The overarching purpose of this bill is to encourage and support live and deceased organ donation and transplantation rates in New Zealand. I wish to acknowledge members from across the House for their support of this important legislation. Colleagues from across the House gave their support to the bill in its first and second readings. I'd also like to once again thank members of the Health Committee for their thoughtful consideration of the bill and for the recommendations they made.The bill is in two parts. Part 1 of the bill amends the Compensation for Live Organ Donors Act 2016. This Act provides for earnings compensation to be paid to organ donors while they recuperate from donor surgery. The bill allows for compensation to be paid to donors who are not currently eligible but who clearly fall within the purposes of the Act. While the Act is mainly working well it does not provide for earnings compensation to be paid to donors who choose to return to work for less than their usual hours during their recuperation period—this bill addresses that issue.The bill also provides for donors who are part of an approved overseas organ exchange programme. The Australian and New Zealand Paired Kidney Exchange Program which has recently commenced has been approved in the bill. This means that New Zealand organ donors who participate in this programme will now be eligible for earnings compensation. This is in keeping with the purposes of the Compensation for Live Organ Donors Act.Part 2 of the bill amends the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000. The bill provides for a national organ donation function to be established within an existing Crown entity: the New Zealand Blood Service which is well positioned to take on this expanded role. Under the bill the New Zealand Blood Service will have a statutory name change to the New Zealand Blood and Organ Service to reflect its expanded role. Its new key function will be to provide oversight and clinical governance of the organ donation system and to support the organ transplantation system.It will also drive and oversee implementation of the 2017 national strategy increasing deceased organ donation and transplantation. The strategy sets up a number of initiatives to help increase New Zealand's deceased organ donation and transplantation rates. The strategy is focused on raising awareness about organ donation it aims to ensure that every opportunity for donation is approached in the most effective possible way and in a way that is culturally appropriate for Māori for Pasifika and for those from other cultural backgrounds.I would like to take this opportunity to thank the highly skilled and dedicated staff in the New Zealand Blood Service the Auckland District Health Board and Organ Donation New Zealand for the valuable work that they do. I'd also like to acknowledge the impact that these changes may have on them.Planning is under way for any future transition of services into the national organ donation function with a focus on ensuring services are not disrupted and that expertise is retained.While New Zealand's organ donation rates are improving they are still relatively low compared to other countries. More can be done to increase donation rates enabling lifesaving treatment for people with organ failure.This bill encourages and supports live and deceased organ donation and organ transplantation and takes us one step closer to improving organ donation rates in New Zealand. I commend this bill to the House.Debate interrupted.