Hundreds of New Zealanders are waiting for organ transplants. The current opt-in system in place for organ donation simply does not work well enough and many people miss out on the chance to live a normal life because of it. By changing the current opt-in system (Where a person chooses to be an organ donor, but next of kin can overrule), to an opt-out system (Where a person will automatically be assumed to be a donor if they have not chosen to opt-out), many lives will be saved or the quality of life greatly improved.

There are very few medical conditions that prevent all forms of donation. For example, someone who has been treated for cancer in the past may think that donation isn't possible, but this depends on the type of cancer, the treatment, and the time since treatment. Eye donation is commonly considered for those who have undergone cancer treatment in the past. Organs are determined to be suitable for transplantation by medical professionals at the time of death, so people should never categorically rule themselves out due to health concerns. There is no age limit on donation for certain organs such as kidneys (The #1 needed organ), liver, and skin so some form of donation is possible for nearly everyone.

Approximately 29,000 New Zealanders have died each year since 2004. Of those ~290,000 people there have been 359 deceaced donors in New Zealand. This equates roughly to a 0.12% deceased donor rate. With kidney transplants having a constant waiting list of about 350 people, even if this figure was increased to 1%, the entire waiting list for kidney transplants could be filled in a year.

New Zealand organ donation is among the lowest in the world. With a system similar to the one implemented in Spain the waiting time for an organ transplant would be miniscule and many people will have a better chance to live a normal life. There is no cost for a deceased person to donate an organ, they no longer require it, and it can save the life of someone who is not yet deceased. Logically it seems obvious to donate, rather than let these potentially life saving organs burn to ash when cremated or decompose in a hole in the ground when buried.

With the current opt-in system, it is often difficult to gauge a persons opinion on the subject if they do not make their voices heard, or do not have a drivers licence. Changing the system to an opt-out system would still ensure bodily autonomy (The right to decide what is done with your body) to those who are strongly opposed to organ donation and make their wish clear, while eliminating the trouble people face in expressing their wish to donate.

An organ donor can save or improve as many as 50 lives, saving many other families from going through the same pain of losing a loved one and helping the donor's family cope with the loss.

Let's show the New Zealand Government that our desire to help our fellow Kiwis can last beyond our own individual lives, and change things for the better.