Turner Judy: Human Tissue (Organ Donation) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Turner Judy: Human Tissue (Organ Donation) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
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JUDY TURNER (Deputy Leader—United Future) 
: 
 I rise on behalf of United Future to speak on the Human Tissue (Organ Donation) Amendment Bill in the name of Dr Jackie Blue. United Future will be supporting the recommendation of the Health Committee. I want to say that we do so with quite a heavy heart because this issue is hugely important. I want to congratulate Dr Jackie Blue. I think that she has done the right thing and that she should hold her head high at the end of tonight because she has kept this discussion going. I would hate to see that what happens to this bill ends the discussion. The fact that to date we have been unable to find an appropriate solution and a way forward for this issue should not mean we stop looking. 
I believe that there is a stone that we have yet to turn over that would provide us with the opportunity. I have given it a lot of thought dating back to the time when we looked at the issue when I was on the Health Committee in the last Parliament. My concern for this issue has not diminished. I also want to mention the work of Andy Tookey who has certainly kept the issue before me. I appreciate every email I get that reminds me that we have young children in New Zealand who are desperately in need of an organ donation and who are waiting for that opportunity. I cannot even imagine what it must be like for a parent to be in that situation. 
The fact that tonight we cannot move forward in a substantial way as was hoped by the sponsor of this bill I believe does not let this House off the hook in any way. I think it is good that the Government Human Tissue Bill includes provisions for a register. I think it is good that we are keeping the door ajar on that possibility. 
Let me tell members a couple of things that have occurred to me and that I think are food for future discussion on this matter. One is that we acknowledge that the current system whereby people notify on their driver’s licence their willingness to be a donor is an inappropriate mechanism. When people go to sign up for their driver’s licence they are not thinking about organ donation; they are thinking about getting their driver’s licence. So there is a very big mismatch there with people’s intentions. But it occurred to me the other day as I was lying down giving blood that when one is in blood donor mode one is in donor mode. It occurred to me that that would be an ideal opportunity for information to be provided to people who are already open to the idea of donation—particularly information that would send them home to have those all-important discussions with their family. The crux of the matter is that people need to have clear and deliberate discussions with their families about their wishes and intentions should they be on life support and the family has to make some very important decisions regarding organ donation. I think we miss a hugely good opportunity there to have that discussion. 
The second solution or possibility I would like to put to this House today is that in the last year or so in Parliament we have begun the process—and I think the Minister of Health has been instrumental in this—of setting up some cross-party support groups around a number of health issues. One is around diabetes. I recently went to the inaugural dinner of a group to set up a support group on the issue of Alzheimer’s disease. Cross-party discussions are a very good initiative by which we keep the issues alive. We understand that they are not controversial issues; we all want a solution. Therefore cross-party discussions are hugely helpful. It occurred to me that maybe we need one around organ donation. Maybe we need to form a cross-party group that gets together on a regular basis to hold meaningful discussions and look at what other jurisdictions are doing. We could discuss for instance the issue of how we progress the discussion in Maori and Pacific communities where the needs are often the greatest. I would hate to see that tonight ends this discussion. I think we have a lot more to consider. 
I think the Green member Sue Kedgley also raised an interesting point when she said that one of the reasons we need to respond to the rising rates of obesity is that a consequence of leaving it unaddressed is that the rates of people needing organ donations are going to skyrocket. Surely the need to discuss and look for more solutions to this matter must be part of that discussion. 
We in United Future would like to put up our hands and say that if the will of the House—and in particular of the health spokespeople across Parliament—was to continue this discussion in some way maybe outside the select committee and the debating chamber we would be keen participants in that. We think it is a very noble cause. Our current low rate of organ donation is not something we can be proud of as a nation. We need to be doing better. Obviously the solution that is put forward in this bill is unworkable; therefore we are unable to support it. I finish by congratulating the select committee and Dr Jackie Blue and signaling that we will be supporting the recommendation of the committee.