Annastacia Palaszczuk politics on euthanasia

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has not only decided to fast-track legislation for voluntary assisted dying but has made clear she would support it in a conscience vote. Picture: Dan Peled

Mid-campaign Queensland’s Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, has promised to legalise voluntary assisted dying if she wins another term at the October 31 state election. Voters appreciate political parties being upfront about their intentions. However, a euthanasia bill is no ordinary policy. It’s a matter of life and death, going to fundamental values that underpin a civilised society. There are powerful, competing considerations involved which lead good people to disagree. Policy has to deal with complexities that are medical, ethical and practical, keeping in mind the risk of unintended consequences, doubts about consent and influence, and the danger of overreach and abuse. For all these reasons, the policy approach to euthanasia must be cautious, well-informed and orderly.

Here lies the problem. Ms Palaszczuk’s announcement came as a surprise. The Queensland Law Reform Commission has been looking at a draft bill and was not due to report until March. Now, the Premier says she will introduce legislation in February, pre-empting and expediting the law reform project. Catholic leaders claim they were misled and ask why the rush. Back in May, the Premier had put off the idea of a euthanasia bill, saying it was “very complex” and needed “further careful consideration”. And so, she set the law reform inquiry to work, and the issue seemed off the political agenda until after the election.

Now the Premier has not only decided to fast-track legislation but has made clear she would support it in a conscience vote. Put on the spot, LNP Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington, has declined to reveal her personal stance, saying she will wait for the law reform report. This contrast between the two leaders may help some voters make up their minds but it also risks distorting debate on the substance of euthanasia by framing it as a partisan political contest during a high-stakes election campaign. That’s at odds with the rationale of a conscience vote.

Dying with dignity is a pressing concern for many, especially in an ageing population with medical interventions able to prolong the life of the very sick. Governments are doing their job when they respond to such concerns with robust policymaking. But it’s difficult to resist the conclusion that Labor’s sudden change of mind is driven by polling that shows the Premier’s superior electoral appeal to the elderly demographic known as “Palaszczuk’s pensioners”. What the people are owed is not a campaign headline but a carefully thought-through policy. The Premier’s instinct in May was right; she should have waited for the law reform report.

What’s done is done. Now or after the election, there still needs to be serious debate about euthanasia — and palliative care. The Premier acknowledged the link herself with the promise of $170m in extra funding for palliative care over six years. That’s welcome, although it’s a tenth of the new money needed, according to the peak body, Palliative Care Queensland. Especially if voluntary assisted dying is on offer, palliative care must be available as a viable choice, lest euthanasia become an oppressive default option. A series of inquiries has shown that palliative care is underfunded, patchy in provision, poorly organised, and in need of more trained staff. When the Premier committed Labor to euthanasia, she said the dying should be “empowered to consider all the options available”. Those are empty words unless palliative care is given much closer attention than it has had to date.