Editorial: Passing of right-to-die laws in Tasmania will mark significant moment

If right-to-die legislation is passed by Tasmania’s parliament as expected next year, it will mark a significant moment in the state’s history, writes Jenna Cairney.

THE expected passing by Tasmania’s parliament of right-to-die laws next year will mark a significant moment in the state’s history.

If the legislation goes through, Tasmania will become the third state — alongside Victoria and Western Australia — in allowing voluntary assisted dying.

It was an overwhelming — but not unanimous — endorsement by Lower House MPs on Friday of the Bill introduced by Mersey MLC Mike Gaffney.

MLC Michael Gaffney after the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill was passed by the Legislative Council. Picture: Zak Simmonds

And while it has not passed a final vote yet, a 17-7 vote on the second reading is the strongest indication yet that VAD is likely to become law at the fourth attempt at such legislation.

Some may have expected the numbers to be much closer following strong lobbying campaigns on both sides of the debate, but the backing by all Labor and Greens MPs, and the majority of Liberals, reflected a strong endorsement.

The key difference on this occasion was that the Bill had already been heavily scrutinised and amended by the Legislative Council before it got to members of the House of Assembly.

This time, it was first introduced in the Upper House, unlike the three previous times in 2009, 2013 and 2017 where it failed to pass the Lower House.

How much of a factor that was this time around is difficult to quantify, but the greater acceptance of VAD as a concept cannot be denied.

MERCY FLIGHT

A move by the state government to subsidise the wages of workers in quarantine hotels up to a full-time equivalent salary is a sensible and proactive one.

By pitching in to cover the finances of workers, it removes the need for them to work secondary jobs, including the potential for them to work in particularly vulnerable settings like aged care facilities.

Measures such as this, and use of the Australian Defence Force and police to guard the hotels, will go a long way to ensuring Tasmania does not experience a COVID-19 outbreak.

The first mercy flight into Tasmania landed in Hobart on Sunday carrying 118 arrivals from India, marking an important point in the state’s battle against coronavirus.

There is likely to be some anxiety within the community about the international arrivals, but strong and robust security arrangements are the key to preventing the virus from escaping.

As much as it would be great to avoid it, we should not panic if a case is detected among travellers in quarantine, because that would show the system was working as it was designed to.

As has been highlighted by the experiences of Victoria and South Australia, ensuring the wildly infectious virus does not escape quarantine hotels is crucial.

The measures taken by the Tasmanian government to date appear to indicate we are doing everything possible to ensure that if detected, the virus is not given the opportunity to spread.