Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Ludwig. Bearing in mind that Australia has one of the lowest organ donation rates in the developed world and that the figure has not improved for some time, and the fact that the government has now established the Organ Tissue Authority with a budget of $150 million over four years, the purpose of which is to seek to improve this donation rate, can the minister please comment on the report that in fact the donation rate in Australia has not significantly improved? There are reports that it has in fact decreased. Could the minister inform the Senate as to whether it is correct that the number of organ donations in this country has not improved, and in fact may be decreasing, and if this is correct why has it not improved?