Kuriger Barbara: Financial Assistance for Live Organ Donors Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeKuriger Barbara: Financial Assistance for Live Organ Donors Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 26 August 2015. Volume:708;Page:6233. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]BARBARA KURIGER (National—Taranaki - King Country): It is a pleasure to take a call tonight in support of my colleague Chris Bishop’s Financial Assistance for Live Organ Donors Bill. I think this is a special opportunity to acknowledge those who have already given organ donations both the living and those who have unfortunately passed away through circumstances beyond their control.There are two types of organ donations. There are the live donors and the ones who have had brain injuries which often result from head injuries or strokes. A lot of those injuries actually have happened as a result of car accidents. My information tells me that between 88 and 150 of about 30000 deaths in New Zealand are actually in circumstances that allow for organ donation. It is also a credit to society given that there are now so many more cars and that the population is so much bigger that the number of car accidents in the last 15 to 20 years has dropped. It is making those deaths fewer which is a good thing. That is actually making fewer organs available for donation from that source and long may that continue.It is also noted that there is large public support for this. In a recent Colmar Brunton poll 67 percent of people agreed to there being compensation similar to something that is based on ACC.So organ donation rates in New Zealand are improving but they are not improving fast enough and as the member Kevin Hague alluded to before the need for organ donation is growing particularly around diseases like diabetes. Although I acknowledge that nobody in New Zealand would want to be doing this for money certainly the money will help because there are a lot of people who would love to do this for family members and simply cannot afford to take the time off work or take the time away from other needs of their families to be able to do this.I know the effort that it takes for some people because I have got a friend at the moment who is going through quite a programme. It is involving her own health her own weight and everything about her so that she can actually be in a fit state to give her kidney to her husband who is dearly in need of a kidney transplant at some point in time. So I know that people make that effort out of great love and I know there are other people who would continue to make that effort out of great love for the person whom they want to donate for. It is just unfortunate that some people cannot put themselves in that position.In Budget 2014 there was $4 million allocated over 4 years to set up the National Renal Transplantation Service. It covers donor liaison coordinators and a continuation of the New Zealand kidney exchange programme which is great. That follows up from money that was in the Budget in 2012 which was to raise awareness and encourage more people to donate. Despite being set up to help with kidney donations and awareness—and people know about it—actually there are not so many people coming forward and I believe that this bill will help to change some of those circumstances.Also although people do not do this for money the chief executive of the Ministry of Social Development under what is proposed in this bill will need to be satisfied that the applicant has given their free and informed consent to become a live donor. That is very very important.I look forward to this bill coming to the Health Committee. The select committee members work very well together and despite there being the small glitch that the member Kevin Hague alluded to before I believe that this bill is going to come out in a good space and that it will encourage more people to come forward and save the lives of a few people.I guess tonight we have had quite an afternoon and quite an evening in the House talking about rugby. One of our greatest rugby stars Jonah Lomu has been one of those people who has gone through that process quite openly and quite publicly. I think that is something that we are all very very grateful for and I would imagine that there are a lot of people in this House who have also been touched by family members and people going through this. Although it is increasing—