Blue Jackie: Human Tissue Bill — Third Reading 
Blue Jackie: Human Tissue Bill — Third Reading 
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Dr JACKIE BLUE (National) 
: 
 The National Party supports the Human Tissue Bill which is a Government bill. It replaces the Human Tissue Act 1964 which needed updating. When this bill was heard at the Health Committee it was heard alongside my member’s bill the Human Tissue (Organ Donation) Amendment Bill which had been facilitated by Andy Tookey. Andy had for a number of years been a campaigner for increasing organ donor rates in New Zealand and he felt that a register was the way to go. The two bills were heard together and there were a number of submissions on both bills. The member’s bill allowed for a voluntary opt-on organ donor register where the donor’s wishes were legally binding. Unfortunately support was not found for the member’s bill but there is provision in the Human Tissue Bill—the Government bill—to allow a future Government to be able to regulate for a register if organ donor rates do not increase. 
The organ donor rates in New Zealand have been appallingly low over the last few years and there are a number of reasons for that. In particular there is an increasing need for donated kidneys with renal failure being the end-stage problem of diabetes renal issues and there has also been a higher threshold. Where people are needy they could have organs if they become sicker. This is not only New Zealand’s problem; it is an international problem. Many countries have taken on organ donor registers as the way to fix the problem. Already recently this year in March there were some media releases reporting that Michigan was strengthening its organ donor rights and it is joining the national momentum to bring uniformity to organ donor laws in the United States. There is also Winnipeg which is calling for a national organ donor register as is Wisconsin. Many countries around the world are doing the same thing including the United Kingdom. Even Gordon Brown was recently in the news calling for there to be a presumed consent register in that country and that bill is being debated at present.  
It was with great sadness that I say we did not get support for the member’s bill and now we are left with the situation where a future Government can provide for a register if organ donor rates do not increase. At the present time we do not have anything. We have a driver’s licence consent but that does not mean anything. It is not informed consent so that is ignored. We really are relying on the public to tell their close relatives that they would like to donate and hope that their close relatives will do the right thing. Otherwise living wills are the only other way that people may dictate their wishes—how they wish their organs to be used or not as is the case. 
There was much talk about a public information and public media campaign that would be needed to go alongside to increase organ donor rates. But quite frankly we have heard nothing since. There has been much discussion but there have been no hard facts about when this organ donor information campaign might begin. The basic framework of the Human Tissue Bill is that it provides for informed consent so that an individual’s rights have primacy. Members on this side of the House find it hard to see how without an organ donor register we can have an informed consent process for this. 
So it is with sadness that I say the member’s bill was not supported. There is provision in the Government bill for a future organ donor register by a future Government if organ donor rates do not increase. I guess the spotlight now is on Organ Donation New Zealand which is the organisation seen to increase organ donations in New Zealand. I know that it has its own structure and its own way it wishes to go about increasing donor rates and I think the spotlight will be on that organisation. Thank you Mr Speaker.