Sharon Bird (Cunningham, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

[by video link] This is my first opportunity to participate in the virtual parliament, so I want to extend my thanks to the staff of the parliament who've made this possible. I couldn't miss the opportunity to speak on the Australian Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority Amendment (Governance and Other Measures) Bill 2021. As has been indicated by previous speakers, it is a fairly technical bill, about the roles of the board and the CEO of the Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority, in effect going back to those roles that were established at the time the federal Labor government created the authority. So I'm certainly happy to support the bill. But, in the context of the bill, I want to talk about why it is such an important issue and why I feel very passionate and take every opportunity I can to support a more effective national organ donation scheme.

For many, many years in my local area I have been inspired by an amazing young woman called Jessica Sparks. Jessica is a double lung transplant recipient and a simply amazing young woman. She has put so much energy and passion into establishing her own organisation, called Sparking Life, to boost organ and tissue donation in Australia. She just inspires so many people. In 2013 she was the Wollongong Young Citizen of the Year, and in 2016 she received the University of Wollongong's top student prize, known as the Chancellor Robert Hope Medal. Jessica really got the message out. She does such a great job in letting people know what a difference organ donation can make to the lives of people who desperately need it. Jessica is a cystic fibrosis sufferer and her voice really moves people to understand the significance of this issue. I want to pay tribute to the great work Jessica does in promoting the importance of organ donation.

Recently, sadly, I've talked to the House about another great local, Keith Caldwell. I spoke to the House at the time because the community here and Keith's family had lost him. He died suddenly. He was a leading president, participant—I couldn't list all the roles that Keith had with the surf lifesaving movement. He was also a former police officer. I want to talk about Keith today as an organ donor. With the indulgence of the House, I think it couldn't be put any better than in the words of Keith's own family. Many people contributing to this debate have talked about how important it is, at that point of decision, for family members to know what your wishes were. Keith's family spoke to the Sydney Local Health District this year, for DonateLife Week, recognising how important organ donation is. His wife, Maria, is another wonderful champion in our community, and she said to the local health district:

After 45 years of life saving, he is now a lifesaver. He was saving lives right to the end.

Keith, who was 60 at the time, donated his liver, kidneys and musculoskeletal tissue, including heart valves and other heart tissue, bones, tendons, ligaments and skin. As a result, two people on the nation's transplant waiting list received a new kidney, while another received his liver but, sadly, later had to have another transplant. His musculoskeletal tissue was stored with the New South Wales Tissue Bank. His heart and lungs were also suitable for transplantation but, because of his rare blood type, a match wasn't found, sadly. Maria said:

The process to donate organs and tissue is very thorough and, at a time of deep sadness, could be considered very confronting. But, with the possibility of saving other people from the heartache we as a family were going through, it gave us hope and comfort.

Almost 80,000 people die in Australian hospitals each year, but only about two per cent can be considered for organ donation. Some of the previous speakers have made the point that it requires very specific circumstances. However, there are many people waiting to be the recipient of those gifts that people make by organ donation. Last year the Sydney Local Health District reported 463 deceased donors and their families saved the lives of 1,270 recipients. This year, there are 1,650 people waiting for a transplant.

I'm registered with the Australian Organ Donor Register. There are about seven million Australians who have done so, but there are about another 13 million aged over 16 who are eligible to register. As with all other speakers in this debate, I would strongly encourage them to look to do so. Maria Caldwell described Keith's organ donation as the greatest gift of all, and indeed it was. She said this was Keith's last act of selflessness and giving to the community. Please, please, please: have this discussion with your loved ones; let them know your wishes.

The two things I'm going to reiterate, as have other speakers in this debate, are for people to go to the DonateLife website—it doesn't take more than a minute or so to register, and then you will be on that official register—and then have the conversation with your family. Consider the situation they will be in if they have to make this decision, and how much easier it will be for them to have a very clear view of what your wishes are because you had that conversation. From these two inspiring Wollongong people, an organ donation donor and recipient—Keith and Jess—nothing could put it more clearly than their words that this is something that our communities really must do. I know during COVID it's tough, and we are having so many tough conversations as it is, but I really encourage people to have this one and to make sure that their views are known.

In the time left to me, I just want to make some points about the second reading amendment moved by the Labor shadow minister and the need to deliver better health outcomes, particularly during the COVID pandemic. I just want to talk to the House for a few minutes about the fact that, when I have conversations with local health practitioners in all different roles, I'm so conscious of the enormous stress they are under at this point in time. As my colleague the member for Macarthur said yesterday, they don't describe themselves as heroes; they just get on and do the job that they love doing. But we should all remember the enormous strain and pressure that they are under. I know they seek to look after their own on mental health and wellbeing and their colleagues' mental health and wellbeing, but I think it is important, as a community, that we give them that support too.

In that context, I want to endorse the words the member for Macarthur said in the parliament yesterday—that leaders in communities, and in particular those of us who have the enormous privilege to sit in this federal parliament, should not be spreading misinformation or scaremongering. We should be endorsing the national health messages and we should be encouraging our communities to comply with those messages in the interests of everybody.

Our health practitioners, our nurses, our doctors, our specialists, the cleaners, the admin staff and all of those people who do exhausting work, day in, day out, whether it's in our hospitals, GP clinics, testing clinics or vaccination hubs—in all of the places where they are out and about, working for our benefit as a community right now—do not need to have their work undermined by people who should know better who are spreading fear and misinformation and encouraging disobedience in our community. It's very sad today to see stories in the media about health professionals saying that they've even had falling-outs within their own families, with people caught up in these very unhelpful conspiracy theories that are being circulated. Indeed, there's a story today in the local media about a health worker at a clinic being physically attacked by somebody who was not wearing a mask. It's just very distressing.

So, on that broader issue about supporting our health workers during the pandemic, all of us should think very, very carefully about the enormous privilege we have when we open our mouths to speak as community leaders and we should understand that there's a great responsibility that comes with that, and we should be ensuring that we are backing in our amazing health workers across the nation.

I endorse the bill and I endorse the amendment moved by the shadow minister.

See this speech in context