Ali France (Dickson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No parent wants to hear that their child has cancer. It is a truly horrific experience. But what might be worse is the moment you are told a bone marrow transplant could save their lives, but, sadly, there is no match. We got that news, and my 19-year-old boy, Henry, passed in February 2024, after an 18-month battle with leukemia.

Today is World Blood Cancer Day. More than 145,000 Australians, many of them young Aussies like my Henry, are battling a blood cancer and many need a stem cell transplant or a bone marrow transplant to live. Australia is failing kids like Henry because we are one of the worst countries in the developed world for stem cell donations—a simple saliva test or sample. Why? That is something that has haunted me for two years. Aussies are generous people. We do so well with our blood donations. Why is it so difficult? Since coming to this place, I have had many conversations about this issue and have met with many organisations who operate in this space. I am hopeful for change. I was pleased to hear in the House this week that the Albanese Labor government has released a tender to do this important work and will work with the successful tenderer and the states to increase donors. Saliva tests should not be this hard.