WA parliamentary report pushes for new voluntary euthanasia laws

Dylan CapornThe West Australian
VideoA hearing into voluntary euthanasia has been told a new category of medical professionals may be needed if euthanasia is introduced into WA.

WA should introduce laws to allow terminally ill people to access voluntary euthanasia, a landmark parliamentary report has argued.

The report, a culmination of a year-long parliamentary cross-party inquiry, recommended Parliament approve laws for “voluntary assisted dying for people experiencing grievous and irredeemable suffering related to an advanced and progressive terminal, chronic or neurodegenerative condition that cannot be alleviated in a manner acceptable to that person”.

Pressure will mount on the State Government to introduce the laws themselves, as opposed to its previous position of having legislation drafted by a backbencher, with the report recommending the Health Minister take carriage of the laws.

Committee chair Amber-Jade Sanderson said death had changed over the last 60 years.

“Over the course of this inquiry, the Committee found that too many West Australians are experiencing profound suffering as they die,” Ms Sanderson said.

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“This is, in part, due to inequitable access to palliative care.

“Unnecessary suffering at end of life, and broad community agreement regarding individual autonomy, form the basis of the Committee’s recommendation that the WA Government draft and introduce a Bill for Voluntary Assisted Dying.”

Camera IconLiberal MP Nick Goiran. Credit: The West Australian

But of the eight members of the committee, Liberal MP Nick Goiran objected to the recommendations, saying in a minority report the Parliament should not implement any laws based on several international models or the recently legislated Victorian model.

The report paves the way for the issue of voluntary euthanasia to dominate State politics until the next election, with both sides of the controversial debate telling The West Australian advocacy organisations were gearing up to fight.

Camera IconAustralian Christian Lobby WA convener Peter Abetz. Credit: The West Australian

Australian Christian Lobby WA convener Peter Abetz said the group would launch a Statewide campaign to educate voters about voluntary euthanasia.

“The ACL was very actively involved in the campaign against the Victorian legislation, so I guess it would be a similar grassroots campaign, lobbying MPs and giving them the information which would hopefully help them make the decision not to go down this path,” Mr Abetz said.

“We believe the evidence from around the world is such that euthanasia, even with the best of intentions as far as protections are concerned, is never adequate and the whole dynamic of the doctor-patient relationship changes dramatically.”

Dying With Dignity WA president Murray Hindle said the group would use a rally at Parliament today to launch its campaign.

“We will be campaigning hard,” Mr Hindle said.

“The problem we’ve got is ... 88 per cent of West Australians polled said they supported a doctor giving a dying patient a lethal dose — there’s no ambiguity about that.

“But of the 12 per cent, while they are insignificant in terms of numbers, they’re quite a powerful and noisy group.”

The parliamentary inquiry set a WA record for the number of submissions received, with more than 700 people weighing into the debate.

The inquiry heard from a range of views including:

The State Government has three months to respond to the report, but Premier Mark McGowan is expected to make a statement later today.

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