Stephen Jones (Throsby, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development and Infrastructure) Share this | Hansard source

I was uncertain whether the member for Canning was rising to ask a question of the minister or just finding a more advantageous seat in the chamber. I return to the question of the Organ and Tissue Authority. I agree with the comments that have been made by the minister about the importance of us doing everything within our power to lift the rates of organ and tissue donation within this country.

We have seen significant improvements through the establishment of the authority and the driving of a national strategy. If you talk to clinicians in the field, if you talk to any of the jurisdictional bodies, if you talk to any of the stakeholder groups, they will all acknowledge that we have gone ahead in leaps and bounds, but there are always things we can do to improve. There is no disagreement on any of those issues that the minister has responded to, but the issue on which we are seeking clarification and a direct response from the minister on is: does the government intend to continue with the proposal to merge the Organ and Tissue Authority with the National Blood Authority?

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