Power Simon: Appointments — Abortion Supervisory Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Power Simon: Appointments — Abortion Supervisory Committee 
[Sitting date: 07 April 2011. Volume:671;Page:17841. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon SIMON POWER (Minister of Justice) 
: 
 I move  
That pursuant to sections 10 and 11 of the Contraception Sterilisation and Abortion Act 1977 this House recommend His Excellency the Governor-General reappoint Professor Dame Linda Jane Holloway of Dunedin and Reverend Patricia Ann Allan of Christchurch as members of the Abortion Supervisory Committee and appoint Dr Tangimoana Frances Habib of Hamilton as a member of the Abortion Supervisory Committee each for a term of three years from the date of appointment and appoint Professor Dame Linda Jane Holloway as Chairperson of the Abortion Supervisory Committee. 
The Abortion Supervisory Committee is constituted under section 10 of the Contraception Sterilisation and Abortion Act and consists of three members one of whom is appointed as chairperson. Two of the members must be medical practitioners. Members are appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the House of Representatives for a term of 3 years and they may be reappointed. At the expiry of the term of appointment members continue in office under section 11(5) of the Act until reappointment or the appointment of a successor. The powers of the committee are not affected by any vacancy in its membership. The committee has the responsibility of reviewing all provisions of abortion law in New Zealand and the operation and effect of those provisions in practice. That includes licensing institutions for the performance of abortions and appointing certifying consultants to authorise abortions. 
The terms of appointment for Professor Dame Linda Holloway Rev. Patricia Allan and Dr Rosie Fenwicke expired on 17 June 2010. Dame Linda and Rev. Allan confirmed their availability for reappointment and I agreed to put this process on hold until a successor to Dr Fenwicke was identified so that all three appointments could be processed together. I take this opportunity to thank Dr Fenwicke for her contribution to the committee. 
Dame Linda Holloway previously pro vice-chancellor of health sciences at Otago University is a highly respected health professional who was made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2005 in recognition of a career dedicated to health science. She is currently a part-time fellow in the department of pathology at the school of medicine at Otago University. She is a specialist anatomical pathologist who earlier in her career worked in rural general practice. Her major area of research interest has been respiratory disease and perinatal pathology. She was one of the advisers to Dame Silvia Cartwright during the inquiry into the treatment of cervical cancer at National Women’s Hospital. Dame Linda has served one term as chairperson of the committee. 
Rev. Patricia Allan has held a number of governance roles in the Methodist and Anglican churches and has been involved in social service or ministry roles in Christchurch and on the West Coast for over two decades. She was awarded the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal by the Queen for her community work on the West Coast. Rev. Allan is a member of the board of the McLean Institute which is a charitable trust and has established her own consultancy business as a facilitator and mentor. She is a registered nurse and also holds a licentiate of theology. Rev. Allan has served one term as a member of the committee. 
Finally the Government is proposing the appointment of Dr Tangimoana Habib to replace Dr Fenwicke. Dr Habib is of Ngati Tuwharetoa descent and currently works as a general practitioner for Te Kohao Health Ltd in Hamilton. Te Kohao Health is based in an urban marae and serves a mainly Maori population with strong links into the community through a variety of programmes. Dr Habib also runs a satellite clinic in another high-needs area of Hamilton. Since 2000 Dr Habib has been involved in Te Ohu Rata o Aotearoa (Te ORA) the Maori Medical Practitioners Association and she has been a member of Te Akoranga a Maui the Maori faculty of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners since its inception in 2002. In 2003 Dr Habib was awarded a fellowship of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners. She served on the college’s council in 2005 and 2006 and is the continuing medical education provider for Te ORA. In addition Dr Habib has been a general practitioner registrar trainer and is on the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners board of assessment and a new board established to provide governance in the education and examination of general practitioners. 
All of the appointees are obviously very capable. They will bring a balance of knowledge and experience to the committee.