Invercargill MP Eric Roy is expected to formally table a neurosurgery petition containing 55,741 signatures in Parliament this afternoon.
Because there were several slightly differently worded petitions, Mr Roy will present all the forms under a covering petition in his name.
It will ask that the House take into account all the signatures requesting that neurosurgery service remain in Dunedin and directing the House to that effect.
Petition forms were delivered to Mr Roy and his fellow southern MPs by Otago Daily Times editor Murray Kirkness, Southland Times editor Fred Tulett and civic leaders a fortnight ago.
Since then, Mr Roy's staff have counted all the signatures and any latecomers, with the final tally about 10,000 higher than originally hoped.
Dunedin-based list MP Michael Woodhouse said it was originally planned for the petition to be presented yesterday, but that changed when question time was abandoned to allow the Prime Minister and others to speak about the weekend's earthquake and air disaster.
