Euthanasia law ‘certain’ as ‘Premier’ Peter Gutwein backs ‘freedom of choice’

Tasmania looks certain to join Victoria and Western Australia in legalising euthanasia as Premier Peter Gutwein pledges his support.

‘I believe very firmly that individuals should take personal responsibility for their actions during their life’: Premier Peter Gutwein. Picture: Richard Jupe

Tasmania looks certain to join Victoria and Western Australia in legalising euthanasia, after Liberal Premier Peter Gutwein threw his support behind a private members bill.

Mr Gutwein’s support for the End-of-Life-Choices bill means it has the numbers to pass the House of Assembly, with fellow Liberal, Health Minister Sarah Courtney, also declaring support.

With all nine lower house Labor MPs and two Greens backing the controversial bill, support of these two high profile Liberals would give it the 13 votes necessary to pass the 25-seat chamber. Other Liberals are also expected to back it.

Mr Gutwein said he had lost his father and sister to cancer and believed in people’s “freedom of choice”.

“I believe very firmly that individuals should take personal responsibility for their actions during their life, I believe very strongly in freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association and – very importantly – I believe in freedom of choice,” he said.

He said it was a deeply personal issue and reiterated that – unlike Labor MPs, who say they all support the bill – Liberal MPs would be given an unequivocally free conscience vote.

“I do not have a mortgage on grief, on pain or on suffering – no one does,” Mr Gutwein said.

Put forward in the upper house, which it has already passed, the bill would allow those suffering intolerably with terminal illness to be administered lethal medication, under a multistage process requiring support from two doctors.

It is now expected to pass a second reading on Friday, when it will be adjourned in committee stage until the first sittings of parliament in March next year.

An independent University of Tasmania inquiry into the bill will report in the meantime and its findings may influence further amendments.

The Australian understands amendments to address the concerns of faith-based hospitals and aged care centres, and to further protect vulnerable people, have been discussed.

Mr Gutwein has foreshadowed an amendment to ensure the new law takes effect 18 months from Friday, the date of the second reading.