I rise tonight to speak on the important matter of organ and tissue donation in Australia. Last week Australians celebrated DonateLife Week 2012. The awareness campaign’s sole purpose is to raise the profile of organ and tissue donation in the community, and that is why I rise tonight-to do my part in promoting this very worthy cause.

Sadly, Australia’s donation rates still lag behind the majority of developed countries, ranked only 24th globally in 2010 by the Council of Europe. While any increase in the rate of organ donation in Australia is welcome news, the fact remains that Australia’s donation rate is still less than half that of leading countries, like Spain. There are only 14.9 organ donors each year for every million people living in Australia. Compare this with Spain, where the rate is 35 per million. We can and must do better-lives literally depend on it. That is why today organ and tissue donation is a vital conversation that Australians need to have with their loved ones and friends.

The fact is that in Australia organ and tissue donation cannot not occur without the direct consent of family members. This is still the case when the individual in question has registered with the Australian Organ Donor Registry. Many of those on organ transplant waiting lists face the prospect of dying unless they are able to receive a donated organ in time. As at 4 January 2012, there were 1,628 people on organ transplant lists in Australia. It is a sad but nonetheless true fact that the number of organ donations in Australia cannot currently meet the demand for organs. Tragically, more than one Australian dies every week waiting for an organ transplant. The fact is that these lives can be saved-each person who becomes a donor can significantly improve the quality of life or indeed save the life of up to 10 people. The theme of DonateLife Week is very appropriately ‘discover, decide and discuss’, and it is imperative for Australians to embrace these ideas as we work together to increase donation rates.

In my first term I was very pleased to be a part of the Howard government, which commissioned the National Clinical Taskforce on Organ and Tissue Donation in order to seek evidence based advice on ways to improve the rate of organ, eye and tissue donation for transplantation in Australia. In its final report, the task force attributed Australia’s inability to increase organ donation to a number of factors, chief of which was the fragmented nature of the organ donation and transplantation sector. As such, the task force recommended the establishment of a national coordination and transplantation authority. When these recommendations were finally acted on, the Australian Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority was set up in 2009 under the Rudd government’s $151 million reform-a world’s best practice approach to organ and tissue donation for transplantation-but it has had somewhat of a lethargic start at meeting its self-imposed targets, with donation regrettably failing to rise significantly. One of the suggested reasons for our lower than expected organ donation rates is a family’s lack of awareness of their loved ones’ wishes. Our shadow parliamentary secretary for primary health care, Dr Andrew Southcott, has agreed with me that the most common reason cited by families when declining to donate a relative’s organs is that they did not know what their wishes were. I would encourage all Australians to have the organ donation discussion with their family and loved ones.

The coalition has always been in favour of improving Australia’s organ donation rates, but we need to ensure that this is done in the most efficient and effective way possible. Some people might have conditions that prevent them from becoming an organ donor, but almost everyone can be a tissue donor and it is never too late to sign up. With Australians 10 times more likely to require an organ or tissue transplant than to become a donor, it is in all of our interests to sign up and to sign up now.

In conclusion, I leave you with something I once read on a bumper sticker while waiting in traffic: ‘Don’t take your organs with you when you go-heaven knows we need them here.’

I would like to encourage my constituents to our next Telstra Open Day at the Albion Exchange on the 10th of March from 10am to 2pm.

This is a great opportunity to come out and communicate to Telstra staff face to face about your Telstra service. Telstra staff will be able to talk to you about any concerns you might have whether it be an explanation of a Bill or the greater infrastructure plans for Telstra for the future.

The following staff available for customers to talk to:

• Customer Service
• Sales
• Mobile Network Planning
• Field Technicians
• Fixed Network Planning
• Local Leadership Team

Our volunteers will also be opening the doors to the newly refurbished Telecommunications Museum. This is a great opportunity for visitors to go on a nostalgic trip through 150 years of telegraphic and telephony history.

We hope to make this a great day for those that attend so we will be providing entertainment for kids, a free sausage sizzle, and plenty of prizes to be won.

For more information please see the flyer invitation here.

Small and medium businesses are the unsung heroes of our economy, punching above their weight in terms of growth they provide to employment and to local communities across Australia.

For 20 years the Telstra Australian Business Awards have recognised the vital contribution of this sector to the national economy by publicly celebrating their achievements.

The 2012 Awards are open for nominations and entries and I am seeking support to encourage participation from deserving small and medium businesses from Bonner.

The awards help businesses to grow their world- their profile, their networks and their knowledge. Each entrant receives a free individual business health check, a 70-page individual report on their business that can help them identify growth opportunities and business improvements.

There are other benefits too from entering Australia’s most prestigious national business awards program including public accolades and a share in $500, 000 in cash and prizes. For many businesses, it’s a rare opportunity to reflect on their achievements and where they’re going. Many businesses have grown and prospered after being named Awards finalists and winners.

To see the five Awards categories and for more information on nominations or entries, please visit the Telstra Business Awards website – www.telstrabusinessawards.com/

After Sir Zelman Cowen’s death I spoke to my father, Angelo Vasta QC, who reminisced that, out of all the lecturers during his time at the University of Melbourne, Sir Zelman was by far the most inspirational and interesting. Some lecturers with a high intellect seemed to expect their listeners to grasp complex legal principles very quickly, but Sir Zelman had the unique ability to be able to express difficult concepts in a very simplistic manner.

Later my father was further impressed by Sir Zelman’s great ability as an administrator during his term as Vice Chancellor of the University of Queensland. In 1988 my parents also had the privilege of attending the first medico-legal conference in Athens with Sir Zelman. My father said that he especially remembered with fondness the memorable bus ride that they all enjoyed to the Delphic Oracle.

Recently, I was very moved by the eulogy given by my friend and colleague Josh Frydenberg at Sir Zelman’s funeral. His passionate words and moving delivery touched us all. On my own behalf and on behalf of my family, I extend our sincere condolences to Lady Anna and to the wider Cowen family. Our lives were all greatly enriched by having known him. He was a luminary and a truly iconic Australian.

Yesterday many of us celebrated Valentine’s Day but, perhaps more importantly, 14 February was also National Servicemen’s Day-a day for Australians to pay tribute to those who served our nation in times of war and peace. Of the 287,000 young Nashos who served between 1951 and 1972, 212 made the ultimate sacrifice. Four of these servicemen were from the Bayside community in my electorate of Bonner. Yesterday, in a moving ceremony, the Manly-Lota RSL remembered Private Ken Gant, Mr Ian Kingston, Mr Ray Kermode and Mr Joseph Ramsey for their national service to our great country. I thank Peter Kinsella, President of the Manly-Lota RSL, for hosting this event and the RSL members for all the wonderful work that they continue to contribute to the Bayside community.

On a similar note, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Senator the Hon. Michael Ronaldson, the shadow minister for veterans’ affairs, who kindly hosted a veterans affairs forum in Bonner in December. The forum was attended by more than 100 veterans and representatives from the sub-branches across my electorate, with the biggest topic of concern being the presently unfair indexation situation. During the forum, Senator Ronaldson restated the coalition’s commitment, which I wholeheartedly support, to providing fair, just and equitable indexation to these superannuation pensions. He recommitted the coalition to giving these men and women a fair go. I would like to thank Senator Ronaldson for his honest and frank approach to some hard questions from the audience. It is obvious that he is a man who genuinely cares about our veterans and I have every faith in him that he will deliver the necessary reform when we are again in government.

These community forums cannot be a success without the wonderful contributions of those community members who volunteer their time. I sincerely thank the Wynnum RSL for hosting the veterans affairs forum. In particular, special mention must be made of Jessica Walmlsey, the functions coordinator at the Wynnum RSL. I would like to also thank the President of the Wynnum RSL, Mr Reg O’Malley, and his extremely generous board, who happily donated morning tea to the attendees of our forum and hosted the function in their club. Thank you also to Robert Hardie from Senator Ronaldson’s office for his professionalism and dedication to veterans affairs.

I would like to invite the community to save their stamps for a good cause and help assist Girl Guides in Queensland. Girl Guides recycle used stamps, on selling them to dealers to fund the Lone Girl Guide Program.

Please collect any stamps that come to your offices on rates payments etc. Please cut/tear the stamp from the corner of the envelope leaving approx. 5mm margin around the stamp. Stamps can then be either posted to “Lone Guide Used Stamps, c/- Girl Guide Support Centre, P.O. Box 739, Fortitude Valley, 4006” or dropped in either at Girl Guide Support Centre, 17 Gould Road, Herston, or at the nearest Guide Hut clearly marked “Please deliver to Girl Guide Support Centre for Lone Guides”.

Lone Girl Guides are those who are unable to participate in Guiding through attendance at a local Girl Guide Unit meeting, instead they enjoy the fun and friendship of Guiding by correspondence. In a girl-centred environment such as Girl Guides, girls have the freedom and support they need to reach their full potential. Girl Guide programs are specifically designed to build self-esteem and confidence, encouraging girls to be decision-makers and leaders.

For more information about Girl Guides, please visit the Girl Guides website. Your support is greatly appreciated.

I rise this afternoon to join my voice in commemorating this amazing watershed in our great nation’s history-that is, the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. As we all know, 6 February 2012 marked the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty. It was in 1952, at the tender age of 25, that the Commonwealth rejoiced at her ascendance to the throne while simultaneously mourning the death of her father, the much-loved King George VI. This tremendous milestone is underscored by the fact that the only other British monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee is the Queen’s great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, who also has the distinction of being the longest reigning British monarch, with a 63-year reign. As such, I am sure that everyone will agree that this is a significant moment in our history and a notable occasion for our young country, being the first such event of this magnitude since we became a Federation on 1 January 1901.

I would also like to remind the parliament that, in September last year, I drew attention to the upcoming Diamond Jubilee. I had been prompted to action after being contacted by the Australian Monarchist League Queensland branch chairman, Mr Tristan Rogers, who asked me to raise this matter in the parliament to ensure that the Diamond Jubilee was recognised in Australia, even in a small way, and separately in each of the states. I absolutely agreed with Mr Rogers on his assertion that as a nation it was essential that we pay appropriate tribute to Her Majesty’s longevity.

As I said at the time, it is not whether you are a monarchist or a republican; it is about respect due to the monarch, who, as UK Prime Minister David Cameron succinctly summarised this week, is always dedicated, always resolute and always respected. Yesterday, I was very heartened to see that our government has, as part of the commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee, pledged up to $5 million to the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust. We are told by this government that Australia’s contribution to the trust, which is chaired by former UK Prime Minister Sir John Major, will go to the development related projects that will create a lasting legacy in honour of Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

In light of this announcement, I would like to take this opportunity to again congratulate the Australian Monarchist League on their steadfast efforts in ensuring the Australian public are aware and excited about Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee. I am sure as well that the rest of Australia are looking forward to the visit of their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, who will visit Australia later this year as part of the wider Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

It is true in a technical sense that the British monarch has no political power; however, Queen Elizabeth as the figurehead and official head of state for the 16 countries that still form the Commonwealth of Nations embodies immense influence and power. Throughout the 60 years of her reign she has continued to play a pivotal role in giving the government and the people in both Britain and Australia a wider perspective than that of the immediate political priorities of prime ministers and governments that have come and gone. In Australia and Britain she has seen 12 consecutive prime ministers, and no doubt she will see a few more. One can only imagine the social and economic change that each of these prime ministers has brought with them. The Queen has weathered each with equanimity, wisdom and her trademark indomitable sense of duty.

As many have observed, the Queen has retained the pomp and circumstance of the monarchy yet has made it more accessible to her subjects than any of her predecessors. While what she does behind Buckingham Palace doors is still as much of a mystery as what she has in her trademark white bag, she still manages to show an unparalleled empathy with the general public. Indeed, many commentators have attributed the continuing survival and growing health of the monarchy to her personal values. She is the oldest British monarch in history. Yet, despite her age, she has never shirked her public duty and continues to maintain a rigorous schedule with hundreds of engagements a year. If only we could all have such unflagging energy and dedication to our roles. There is no doubt she rules by example, carrying out her role to the very limits of her ability. If there could be a single word that adequately encapsulates the general public’s feeling towards her, it would be respect-respect that has been earned and maintained despite the tribulations of the Royal Family, most notably the death of the immensely popular Princess Diana. The Queen Mother, as we fondly know her, lived to be 101. Since the Queen seems to have inherited her mum’s longevity, I have no doubt that in three years we will be celebrating her as the longest reigning monarch in British history. The Diamond Jubilee is but a prelude to that momentous occasion.

The Queen once again demonstrated her immense sense of public duty this week when she vowed to dedicate herself anew to the throne. As Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II commences her seventh decade, I would like to take this opportunity to extend on behalf of the people of Bonner our heartfelt congratulations to her. Today we also extend our thanks to her for her life of magnificent service to our country. Long live the Queen. Long may she reign.

The Leukaemia Foundation’s World’s Greatest Shave will be held from 15-17 March 2012 to raise finds for patients and their families living with leukaemia, lymphomas, myeloma and related blood disorders.

Once again tens of thousands of Queenslanders are expected to shave or colour their hair to raise funds and show their support for the people the Foundation helps every day. Since 1999 the World’s Greatest Shave has developed as the Leukaemia Foundation’s biggest single annual fundraising event.

It enables the Foundation to continue delivering our range of services to patients, including free accommodation in Brisbane or Townsville for those needing to leave their homes ion regional and rural Queensland to be close to major treatment centres.

In 2010/2011 the Foundation provided more than 41,000 nights of accommodation to patients and their families, as well as information and advise, disease-specific workshops, free patient transport, and financial assistance where necessary.

In 2012 the Foundation hopes to raise $4 million in Queensland through the World’s Greatest Shave. I would like to encourage the community to get involved and be a part of this worthy cause. You can support the event by:

• Visiting the worldsgreatestshave.com website to see how you might participate in the event; 
• Encouraging your friends and colleagues to register and participate by shaving or colouring their hair; or 
• Encouraging donations to brave shavers and colourers via the World’s Greatest Shave Website.

Come down on 11 February 2012 between the hours of 3pm and 7pm, for a community Party in the Park. This is a great opportunity to spend some time with family and friends and to connect with your local community.

What better way to kick off 2012 than with a free sausage sizzle, entertainment and jumping castles for the kids, in one of Brisbane’s premier parks, Beryl Roberts Park, Barham St Coopers Plains.

Click here for a copy of the invitation and I look forward to see you there on the day!   

The Leukaemia Foundation’s World’s Greatest Shave will be held from 15-17 March 2012 to raise finds for patients and their families living with leukaemia, lymphomas, myeloma and related blood disorders.

Once again tens of thousands of Queenslanders are expected to shave or colour their hair to raise funds and show their support for the people the Foundation helps every day. Since 1999 the World’s Greatest Shave has developed as the Leukaemia Foundation’s biggest single annual fundraising event.

It enables the Foundation to continue delivering our range of services to patients, including free accommodation in Brisbane or Townsville for those needing to leave their homes ion regional and rural Queensland to be close to major treatment centres.

In 2010/2011 the Foundation provided more than 41,000 nights of accommodation to patients and their families, as well as information and advise, disease-specific workshops, free patient transport, and financial assistance where necessary.

In 2012 the Foundation hopes to raise $4 million in Queensland through the World’s Greatest Shave. I would like to encourage the community to get involved and be a part of this worthy cause. You can support the event by:

• Visiting the worldsgreatestshave.com website to see how you might participate in the event;
• Encouraging your friends and colleagues to register and participate by shaving or colouring their hair; or
• Encouraging donataions to brave shavers and colourers via the World’s Greatest Shave Website.

Thank you for you support.