Michael Johnson (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Blood is as vital to life as the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink. That is how blood was explained to me by my brother, who happens to be one of Queensland’s—and, indeed, this country’s—finest young neurosurgeons. As well, my sister recently graduated in medicine. So I have a brother and a sister who are right at the heart of the medical world, and they say to me that in this country of ours much more can and should be done to encourage our fellow Australians to donate blood. World Blood Donor Day is 14 June, and I want to take the opportunity in the federal parliament, as the member for Ryan, to first of all thank all those constituents of mine who have so very generously given of their time and their blood in the past. I want to also encourage those who might not have considered this in the past to contemplate the profound significance of making a donation of the very valuable gift of life—that is, the blood that they have to sustain their own life.

Much has been said on both sides of the parliament about the significance of donating blood to those in our society who are in desperate need of it. The donation of blood is a voluntary gesture. It is unpaid. Donors are only recognised by the profound generosity of their deed. The selflessness of Australians in providing a reliable and sufficient supply of blood really does deserve the full respect and applause of the rest of us. The theme for this year’s World Blood Donor Day is Many Happy Returns. It highlights the importance of giving blood on a regular basis. The healthy lifestyle that regular donors lead makes the blood supply the safest possible, which is the key reason that Australia has one of the most effective blood supply systems in the world. As many of my colleagues have said previously—and I echo their comments—in Australia some 21,000 donations are required every week. Blood, as we would all know, cannot be manufactured. It is the gift of life. It is precious and sourced from within us, and we are able to donate to those in need of it. More regular donors are needed to build and maintain a sustainable blood supply system in our country. That will play a crucial role in meeting the increased demands for blood products and blood transfusion services. We have in this country one of the finest organisations going—that is, the Australian Red Cross—which manages and encourages Australians to donate blood.

The giving of blood, as I said, is a selfless act that helps not only those who have suffered from traumatic incidents, such as accidents or burns, but also those Australians who suffer from medical conditions such as cancer, heart disease, stomach and bowel disease and liver and kidney diseases and also people with haemophilia, newborn babies and pregnant women. In fact, some 30 per cent of donated blood goes to cancer patients, including those who are suffering from leukaemia. Another 30 per cent goes to those suffering from heart, stomach and bowel disease, and another 40 per cent goes to burns and accident victims and kidney and liver disease patients. The giving of blood is a significant deed. One of my political heroes is Winston Churchill, and one of his famous sayings is, ‘We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.’ I also want to take the opportunity in the parliament to thank the volunteers of the Australian Red Cross, who—like so many volunteers across so many wonderful charities and not-for-profit organisations in this country—tirelessly give of their time, their skill and their services to encourage their fellow Australians to donate blood.

Unfortunately, blood components have a shelf life of up to five days for platelets, 42 days for red cells and up to one year for plasma. So it is easy to understand why the need for blood is constant. As the federal member for Ryan, I take this opportunity to encourage not only my fellow Australians to donate blood, like my colleagues have done, but also specifically those in my electorate. Those people living in the Ryan electorate all know that the big Red Cross buses are at the Indooroopilly shopping centre—(Time expired)

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