Ged Kearney (Cooper, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

The Australian Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority leads the implementation of the Australian government's national program to increase organ and tissue donation and transplantation, working with DonateLife agencies in all states and territories. Critical to the work of the Organ And Tissue Authority and DonateLife agencies are promotional and educational activities to increase community awareness of organ and tissue donation issues, and to encourage people to register on the Australian Organ Donor Register and talk to their family about donation. These activities include commemorative services; educational and community awareness materials, such as posters and flyers; and social media content, which often include the sharing of experiences by individuals and families involved in organ and tissue donation and transplantation.

Currently, there are provisions in state and territory legislation and in the Australian Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority Act 2008 that prohibit the sharing of some information related to deceased donors and recipients. As a result, the Organ and Tissue Authority and Commonwealth funded state and territory DonateLife agencies are limited in the ways they can deliver the national organ and tissue donation and transplantation program and, in particular, community awareness, educational activities and commemorative events for donor families. The Australian Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority Amendment (Disclosure of Information) Bill 2023 will amend the Australian Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority Act 2008 to allow the Organ and Tissue Authority, DonateLife agencies, grant recipients and authorised family members to publish, disseminate or disclose information about deceased donors or recipients for the purposes of the Organ and Tissue Authority's community awareness, educational or commemorative activities.

These changes will allow the Organ and Tissue Authority and DonateLife agencies to obtain consent for this information to be shared from an extended list of family members of donors and recipients. These legislative amendments align with the sentiment that many donor families wish to commemorate their family member in remembrance services. Some also want to raise community awareness about donation and transplantation. The ability to communicate the stories of those who have given the gift of life and of those who have received this is vital to saving lives and improving the quality of life for more Australians. These changes will support the Organ and Tissue Authority and DonateLife agencies in more effectively achieving these goals. I thank all the members for their contributions to the debate on this bill.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

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