House debates Organ Donation

Thursday, 4 September 2008 House of Representatives

Brendan Nelson

Brendan Nelson Bradfield, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition

3:59 pm

Mr Speaker, on indulgence, this is one of the initiatives of the government which the opposition strongly supports and commends, and has been very supportive of publicly. I join with the Prime Minister in challenging every Australian to discuss with his or her family what they would like done in relation to organ donation in the event of their sudden death. Everyone of us every day should do everything we can to encourage a broader discussion in the community because, tragically, it does often fall down, as the Prime Minister says, at the hospital level and in the discussion between medical and nursing staff and immediate family members.