Townsville Catholic Bishop Tim Harris stands firm against Voluntary Assisted Dying laws
Having experienced his parents deaths in palliative care, a Townsville bishop is convinced that euthanasia doesn’t need to be an option.
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TOWNSVILLE Bishop Tim Harris is standing firm against the proposed voluntary assisted dying (VAD) laws, saying it is required for the sake of a greater good.
The controversial issue of legislating euthanasia in Queensland has provoked spirited debate in state parliament over the past two days, with a conscience vote on the matter expected to take place on Thursday.
Based in Townsville’s Sacred Heart Cathedral for the past four years, the “ideologically-driven” bishop aspires to be constructive, and is passionate about people’s welfare – particularly at the beginning and end of their lives.
As Catholic Church’s spokesman for euthanasia, Bishop Harris is adamant that the value of human life should be upheld and that “society must accompany the dying and never discard them”.
“What I believe is that VAD weakens society’s respect for human life,” Bishop Harris said.
“Human life is sacrosanct for us, it influences everything that I say and do. I’ve got to stand up for human life from its beginning to its natural end.”
As someone who supported his parents through the heartbreaking journey of palliative care to their natural deaths, he described it as an emotional experience, but the thought of ending things sooner was never considered.
He said there would be no need for people to think about euthanasia if a high standard palliative care was widely available throughout Queensland and delivered by an adequate number of specialists.
Bishop Harris regarded Queensland’s proposed VAD laws as more extreme than those in other states, putting religious-run hospitals and aged-care facilities in a precarious position where they couldn’t conscientiously object, and would be forced to facilitate assisted dying on site when patients were too sick to be transferred.
This would have an adverse impact on nearby patients, religious medical professionals and the sanctity of their blessed buildings.
There was a concern about the slippery slope where VAD safeguards could be weakened over time, with euthanasia becoming a cost effective way to dealing with terminally ill patients or broadened to include people who weren’t terminal.
“It’s not just giving someone help with their pain, it’s a culture of accompaniment that’s required by palliative care,” he said.
“It’s surrounding someone with true care, compassion, love, with the opportunity to receive pain relief. Most pain can be dealt with, that’s a fact.”
When asked about terminally ill patients whose condition couldn’t be helped by pain relief, like Townsville’s Owen Burdock, the bishop said his circumstances were “truly dreadful”.
“I grapple with suffering, we all do. (But) it’s impossible for a Catholic bishop or any person who professes the Catholic faith to in any way condone VAD,” he said.
“I know that that view is not popular and can be seen as not compassionate but I am a compassionate man, people who know me know that I am, but I cannot go down that path because we believe that there is another way.”
Dying man’s desperate plea to Queensland’s pollies
TRAPPED in a failing body ravaged by the late stages of a terminal disease, Owen Burdock is pleading for Queensland’s politicians to allow him to die with dignity.
Sitting in a wheelchair, his hand irreversibly contorted, his knees constantly trying to cross over, drooling uncontrollably, needing his eyes pried open, barely able to utter a word, and yet with a clearly functioning mind, Mr Burdock’s life is a living hell he is unable to escape.
With just months to live, Mr Burdock wants to be first in line to end his life if Queensland’s politicians pass the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2021, which is at present being debated in parliament.
A Townsville resident “on and off” for the past three decades, Mr Burdock, 50, used to run a successful gardening business called Birdy’s Shortcut Mowing & Rubbish Removal, before succumbing to his illness.
Struggling to walk properly and often falling over, he was diagnosed with a rare brain disorder seven years ago called progressive supranuclear palsy, and given seven years to live.
Causing problems with movement, walking and balance, and eye movement, the disease worsens progressively over time, causing weakness by damaging certain parts of the brain above nerve cell clusters that control eye movements.
The Queensland government says the underlying principle of voluntary assisted dying is to provide an option “for people at the end of life who are suffering and dying”.
Asked whether he was “suffering and dying”, he wrote on a magnetic whiteboard, “every f---ing day”.
With his fingers making the shape of a gun, he pointed to his head.
Supported financially by the NDIS, Mr Burdock has a team of nurses led by Kelly Simmons, who has spent two years watching helplessly as he’s gone progressively downhill.
“Owen said to me at his 50th (birthday), ‘you know, this will be the last one, I won’t make it to me 51st’, and that’s the way it’s looking,” Ms Simmons said.
“It’s not going to happen. He doesn’t want to be there for it. What will happen eventually, is that Owen’s body will contort and twist up, like a cripple laying sideways in a bed in a foetal position.”
In the next few months, she expected him to die from malnutrition, dehydration, pneumonia or drowning in his own secretions – unless he passed away on his own terms.
Questioned whether they had a message for local politicians planning on voting against the bill, Mr Burdock and his carers extended the MPs an invitation.
“Ask them to come and provide care for the day for him. Don’t just stand here. Walk in his shoes. Sit in a wheelchair and see if they want to live like this,” she said.
Voluntary Assisted Dying legislation to be debated in parliament
MARJ Lawrence knows exactly how she will end her life peacefully, even if voluntary assisted dying is not brought into law.
The 84-year-old watched her husband wither away to a skeleton before his death 20 years ago, sparking the decades long push to bring voluntary assisted dying to Queensland.
The legislation will be introduced into state parliament on Tuesday after years of consultation.
While the government has been met with considerable backlash from multiple organisations and individuals, there is a strong chance the legislation will pass.
Ms Lawrence didn’t want to get her hopes up, but said all signs indicate the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2021 would pass in parliament.
“Until the final vote has been cast, I don’t think I can feel happy about it until it has actually been voted on and hopefully it will be successful,” she said.
But recently, Ms Lawrence has had her own brush with death, now in remission for pancreatic cancer. Ms Lawrence said there was no drug to help with the pain of dying from pancreatic cancer and with a chance it could return, she wanted to be prepared.
“When my time comes, I don’t want to suffer like my brother who died of pancreatic cancer,” she said.
“Three of my friends also had terrible deaths with the same cancer.
“If we can’t get this bill through … I’m going to end my life on my own.
“It means a lot to me. It will mean my family will be able to be with me at the end.
“The peace of mind I have had for many years, just knowing I’m not going to suffer at the end is something I can’t underestimate.”
Ms Lawrence said passing this bill would help people be less anxious about dying. “They know their end will be peaceful if they have a choice in how to end their life.”
Health and Environment Committee Chairman and Thuringowa MP Aaron Harper described the voluntary assisted dying legislation as “historic”.
Over three years, 11,000 submissions were made on voluntary assisted dying and public hearings were held across the state.
“The majority of people we spoke to told us they want a choice at the end of life, particularly for people suffering a terminal illness,” Mr Harper said.
The legislation is not expected to be voted on this week, with multiple amendments and speeches expected.
However, MPs will be able to vote individually on the bill, rather than as a party, giving members a conscience vote. While Mr Harper pushed for politicians to support their communities views, some MPs, including the Katter’s Australian Party members will vote against the legislation based on their personal views.
“This should be a majority of MPs supporting such a bill … that is truly representing the people of Queensland when it comes to addressing choice at end of life.”
Burdekin MP Dale Last told the Bulletin he would support the interests of his community after an electorate-wide survey.
“The government, and others, have indicated that they will be introducing amendments and I will take those amendments into account before I speak on the legislation,” he said.
“I hope that those amendments may address some of the concerns my constituents have raised and, therefore, provide a better outcome regardless of where people stand on the issue.”
Mayor’s daughters join vaccination push
PALM Islanders are taking part in a drive to get as many people vaccinated as possible in order to prepare for the worst.
The family of Mayor Mislam Sam have joined the push, with his daughter’s Shameka, 16, and Sharona, 13, flying to the island to get their jab.
The Palm Island Community Company (PICC) Primary Health Service started the new campaign to get the community vaccinated on Tuesday.
The Sam girls said other young people should also be getting their vaccinations to help protect the community.
“(It is important to get our vaccination) to protect our community and our family,” Shameka said.
“It’s to protect our mob,” Sharona added.
PICC Chief Executive Officer Rachel Atkinson said the push to get people vaccinated was to make sure Palm Island was prepared when the virus reached the Indigenous community.
“We’ve got to be ready for it,” Ms Atkinson said. “The first thing is to make sure everyone is vaccinated from 12 upwards in the community.”
She said access to the vaccine was key, with the health service able to offer about six jabs a day in addition to the two-day drive this week and next week.
“This is the first time ever an Aboriginal community control can now provide the vaccination,” Ms Atkinson said.
She added that many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities had little access or had a low take up in the vaccines, which was why the push was so important.
“I think Palm Island is doing quite well in terms of the numbers, but it’s not enough,” Ms Atkinson said. “The positive here is that people are still lining up to get vaccinated.
50 per cent of Townsville locals have received first dose
MORE than 50 per cent of Townsville’s population has received the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.
New federal government data has revealed 52.5 per cent of the North Queensland capital’s population has had a jab, but only 35.7 per cent are fully vaccinated.
Queensland Health data shows the Townsville Hospital and Health Service had administered 86,092 doses of the vaccine as of September 7.
Since the Covid-19 vaccine became available for anyone over the age of 15, the jab rates have been rising quickly as more people became eligible.
Townsville Hospital and Health Service Chief Executive Kieran Keyes said he wanted to see the number of people vaccinated continue to grow.
“This is great for the community and goes a long way to offer a level of confidence should there be a case of Covid-19 in Townsville,” Mr Keyes said.
Townsville GP Michael Clements expects that by the end of 2021, every North Queenslander that wants to be vaccinated will have been ordered one.
He said it was a bit unfair to compare Queensland’s vaccination rate to New South Wales because doses had been diverted there amid one of the country’s worst outbreaks.
“NSW have the emergency on their doorstep right now with Covid-19 walking the streets,” Dr Clements said. “Their enthusiasm has been driven by fear, where as what we’re trying to do here in North Queensland is get them to get vaccinated in preparation for what is coming.”
Dr Clements said most GP practices were only just beginning to receive Pfizer vaccines, with more on the way.
“We’ve been running our Pfizer vaccine clinics for some time now, there is such great enthusiasm and community engagement, people describe having waited a long time to get it and only just becoming eligible now and only just having appointments available now,” he said
“I think that is the real reason we’re behind.”
>>> The Townsville Community Vaccine Centre at the old Joyce Mayne building is taking walk-ins this week.
FIRST DOSE
Townsville – 52.5%
Cairns – 55.0%
Newcastle and Lake Macquarie – 66.9%
Hobart – 66.7%
ACT – 69.1%
Darwin – 63.1%
Bendigo – 69.7%
Source: Federal government
Plans released to fix plagued water pipe
TOWNSVILLE City Council has released the preferred design of a new pipeline from the Ross River Dam to the Douglas Water Treatment Plant.
Last year, the existing 1.3m pipeline unexpectedly burst leaving the city on emergency water restrictions for days.
Residents were unable to shower, wash clothes or dishes, irrigate or handheld water in the peak summer period.
While council staff and external contractors managed to patch the ruptured pipe, it became clear the 50-year-old pipe needed to be replaced.
Now, the council has put forward plans for the preferred alignment for the pipeline, which is currently estimated to cost about $45m.
Mayor Jenny Hill said the proposal was developed following negotiations with various stakeholders and federal government agencies, including the Department of Defence.
She said the council was tracking well with the design and approvals for the new duplicate 9.35km, 1290mm diameter pipeline.
“It is proposed that the new pipeline would cross the Ross River closer to Ross River Dam and run parallel with the river through the DoD Mount Stuart Training Area before connecting with the Douglas Water Treatment Plant,” Cr Hill said.
A referral under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act says the “deteriorated condition” of the pipeline puts the city’s water security at risk.
“Several failures have occurred within the pipeline to date, which have threatened Townsville’s water supply, imposing severe water restrictions while failures were repaired,” the report says.
“It is critical that an alternative pipeline is constructed to secure Townsville’s water supply now and in the future.”
Details in the report say the design life of the new pipeline is 100 years, 20 more years than the expected lifespan of the current pipe.
The council has plans to hold an industry briefing on September 15 for contractors, suppliers and consultants interested in project opportunities.
“We expect to issue the first of several supply and construction tenders on 25 September 2021 to enable construction to commence in April 2022,” Cr Hill said.
“As we did with stage one of the Haughton Pipeline project, Council is committed to using local companies and workers as much as possible, so this project delivers jobs and economic growth for our community, as well as enhanced water security.”
Details on how to register for the Townsville City Council information sessions will be announced soon.
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