Government confirms it is to break election promise

The Minister of Health David Cunliffe has today officially admitted that the government will go back on its 2005 pre-election promise of an organ donor register.

In a letter to GiveLife NZ received today, the Minister says there is no evidence that a register will increase the organ donor rate.

"This is not why they promised a register in the first place." says Andy Tookey of GiveLife.

"In the governments' own press release before the last election titled 'Organ Donor Register to be established' it states the reason for establishing a register is because;

"The issue of consent has stimulated considerable debate, and the Organ Donation Register will ensure that there is an effective, informed consent process, so that people who have indicated they want to be organ donors have their wishes respected."

Mr. Tookey said; "the government is now breaking their promise, and worse still denying the citizens of New Zealand the right to be able to give 'informed consent.' The Chief Medical Advisor has already said twice in the media that 'we' are not capable of giving informed consent. Not only does this contradict their previous statements and goes against the Health & Disability Code of rights but is yet another example of 'government knows best.'

"Nearly every Western country in the world believes their citizens are capable of deciding whether to be a donor or not, apparently in New Zealand we are not capable."

It appears that the only promise the government can be relied on to keep, is to not keep their promises."

ENDS

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