Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Siewert for her question. I add to the question in this way: an acting interim CEO of the authority for organ and tissue donation was appointed on 17 March. That person is an experienced senior official and is continuing to spearhead the authority’s work. It is about ensuring that the government’s $151.1 million organ donation package is implemented successfully and in accordance with all government legal requirements. The previous CEO stated that she had left for personal reasons. Although we have now got a new package of $151.1 million, together with a new CEO, it is recognised that, while transplant success rates in Australia are among the best in the world, organ and tissue donation rates remain comparatively low. Over the past 10 years Australia has averaged around 10 donors per million of population. The current rate of 11 donors per million of population compares to 15 in the UK and over 20 in the US. It is for this reason that the government is spending the $151.1 million to create a world’s best practice and nationally consistent system for organ and tissue donation in Australia. The implementation plan and focus of the measure reflects the Sharelife Australia plan. There are encouraging early signs in providing information about how this reform is progressing. In the first quarter of this year there were 88 organ donors resulting in 251 life-transforming transplantations. That is the highest number for this period than any other year in the past decade. (Time expired)