Premier Peter Gutwein reveals he will vote in favour of Tasmania’s Voluntary Assisted Dying laws
Tasmania is set to become the third Australian state to pass right-to-die laws after Premier Peter Gutwein indicated he would support a Bill before the parliament. LATEST >>
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LATEST, 10.22PM, DECEMBER 3:
TASMANIA is set to become the third Australian state to pass right-to-die laws after Premier Peter Gutwein indicated he would support a Bill before the parliament.
During an emotional sitting of the House of Assembly, Mr Gutwein and fellow Liberals Sarah Courtney, Jeremy Rockliff and Nic Street, indicated they would vote in favour of the legislation.
With unanimous Labor and Greens support, it means at least 16 of 25 votes are assured.
Liberals Elise Archer and Guy Barnett and independent Madeleine Ogilvie were the only members to indicate their opposition during Thursday’s debate.
The House of Assembly is considering the End Of Life Choices (Voluntary Assisted Dying) Bill 2020 over its last two sitting days for the year before a final vote, expected next March.
The Bill was drafted by Legislative Council member Mike Gaffney and heavily amended after lengthy debate in that chamber.
Mr Gutwein became the first Liberal premier to indicate his support.
“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.
“Madam Speaker, it is why I will support the principle of this Bill and I will vote for it on the second reading.”
Bass MP Sarah Courtney introduced the Bill.
“I have no doubt that members understand that this may be the most important Bill many of us will consider in our parliamentary careers,” she said.
“I support the intent of the Bill because the primary question contained is a question for the individual.”
Labor leader Rebecca White said the debate on the Bill was historic.
“One of the fundamental beliefs I hold, is that each individual should have the right to choose what they do with their bodies, that we as capable adults should enjoy the human right to decide for ourselves, the way in which we live and indeed, if we are able, the way in which we die.”
Attorney-General Elise Archer was the first speaker to indicate their opposition to the Bill, thanking Mr Gutwein for allowing a conscience vote.
“I lost my mother as a result of severe early onset dementia only last year and so this is still very raw for me,’’ Ms Archer said.
She said she was persuaded by the legal, ethical and medical arguments against voluntary assisted dying because she did not believe sufficient protections were in place.
Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said she would support the Bill, recounting how deeply she had been affected by her mother’s death in April last year.
“What do we want for the people we love when that moment comes? We don’t want them to suffer. We don’t want them to be scared. We want them to retain their autonomy and their dignity and their last hours and days.”
If passed, the laws will come into effect in June 2022.
UPDATE 3.27PM, DECEMBER 3:
Attorney-General Elise Archer was the first speaker to indicate their opposition to the bill, thanking Premier Peter Gutwein for allowing a conscience vote.
“It is an emotional and deeply personal issue and indeed, is particularly emotional and upsetting for those of us who have lost a loved one in recent times,” she said.
“I lost my mother as a result of severe early-onset dementia only last year and so this is still very raw for me.”
She said that she was persuaded by the legal, ethical and medical arguments against voluntary assisted dying because she did not believe sufficient protections were in place.
“At the outset, I do not support the principle of this bill, based on personal views and reasons but I also have issues and concerns supporting a bill that has not gone through the usual and extensive processes for law reform and thereby remain unconvinced that this bill adequately protects the vulnerable in our community or indeed medical professionals.
“This does not mean, I don’t care. Quite the contrary, I have lived this and I care so much that I fear for the most vulnerable, not least of all because of my professional experience.”
UPDATE 3.10PM , DECEMBER 3:
Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said she would support the bill, recounting how deeply she had been affected by her mother’s in April last year.
“Grief is a strange and bewildering process. It never really goes away and sometimes it sweeps you off your feet like a tsunami, without warning it takes you out at the knees,” she said.
“I still really miss my mum. A great comfort to me is that I believe she had a good death. She had the best of medical care and was surrounded by love.
“What do we want for the people we love when that moment comes?
“We don’t want them to suffer. We don’t want them to be scared.
“We want them to retain their autonomy and their dignity and their last hours and days.
“We want them to be surrounded by love, for our closest, we want to be there holding their hand when they go. And surely Madam Speaker, when our time comes, we want the same.”
She read into Hansard letters of support from members of the public, saying it was welcome that after three failed attempts, Tasmanians would finally have access to voluntary euthanasia.
“Here we are madam speaker, on the cusp of a historic vote,” she said.
UPDATE 2:49PM, DECEMBER 3:
Labor’s Michelle O’Byrne said it was not the first time she had voted on voluntary assisted dying in the House, but she hoped it would be the last.
She fought tears as she said that she believed allowing people suffering intolerable pain the right to end their lives was consistent with religious faith.
“I do not seek to lecture people of faith, but I want to put on the record the views of the many people of faith who have called on us to pass this legislation because it is entirely in keeping with their religious beliefs,” she said.
She appealed to members to vote in favour of the bill.
“Please pass this bill. Pass it because it is good legislation, pass it because the intent is overwhelmingly supported by our constituents, pass it for families who have suffered and grieved today, pass it for people who are in pain – and mostly pass it because we should not be accepting that ending life in misery and agony is better than helping people for whom death is inevitable to leave his life in the best possible way.”
UPDATE 1.05PM DECEMBER 3:
Premier Peter Gutwein says he will vote in favour of voluntary assisted dying laws.
During debate in the House of Assembly, Mr Gutwein said he had been mindful in recent months of his duty to do everything he could to improve the lives of vulnerable Tasmanians.
He said he wanted to ensure the legislation was as robust as possible, which was why he had asked the University of Tasmania to provide a report to parliament on the bill as amended and compared to similar bills elsewhere.
“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.
“Madam Speaker, it is why I will support the principle of this bill and I will vote for it on the second reading.”
Mr Gutwein said he had lost his father and sister to cancer and had been impressed by the work of the palliative care professionals who had attended them in their last days.
He said he understood that views on the topic were deeply personal.
“I do not have a mortgage on grief, or on pain or on suffering, no one does,” he said.
If passed by the House of Assembly, the laws will come into effect in June 2022.
UPDATE, 12PM, DECEMBER 3:
LEGISLATION which would give terminally-ill Tasmanians the right to end their own lives has been described as the most important MPs will debate in their time in parliament.
The House of Assembly will consider the End Of Life Choices (Voluntary Assisted Dying) Bill 2020 over its last two sitting days for the year before a final vote expected in March.
The bill was drafted by Legislative Council member Mike Gaffney and heavily amended after lengthy debate.
Bass MP Sarah Courtney introduced the Bill into the House.
“This is an intensely sensitive and personal issue for all of us,” she said.
“I respectfully acknowledge the broad range of views and deeply held convictions that exist on this matter.
“I have no doubt that members understand that this may be the most important bill many of us will consider in our parliamentary careers.”
Ms Courtney said she would be voting in favour of the bill because she believed in the rights of the individual.
“I support the intent of the bill because the primary question contained is a question for the individual,” she said.
“It’s not a question for government. In my view, our role as a government of the day is to put in place legislation that protects our most vulnerable and ensures the standards of protocols legislated reflect community expectations.
“What this does is to arguably one of the most important decisions someone can make in their lives back to the individual.
“How could I possibly stand here and argue that I know better than a sick, dying, suffering person who only has before them a painful and sometimes prolonged death?
“No matter what decision I would choose for me why do I have the right to prevent to another for making that choice themselves?”
Labor leader Rebecca White said the debate on the bill – the fourth time Tasmania’s parliament has considered right to die laws – was historic.
“I’ve taken on board that experience and those stories and it has helped to shape my views about I will vote on this bill,” she said.
“One of the fundamental beliefs I hold, is that each individual should have the right to choose what they do with their bodies, that we as capable adults should enjoy the human right up to decide for ourselves, the way in which we live and indeed, if we are able, the way in which we die.
“The weight of evidence is convincing in favour of supporting voluntary assisted dying.
“Polling consistently shows overwhelming support from the community for voluntary assisted dying.
Ms White shared the stories of several people who had lost family members to terminal illness and from a palliative care nurse, who wrote:
“I have people who plead with me in desperation because they want their suffering to end. If you saw what I see you would vote for voluntary assisted dying.
“We don’t let animals suffer like this, so why do we let humans?”
Ms White urged members to support the bill as “an act of compassion and love and humanity”.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2:
DEBATE on right to die laws will begin in parliament on Thursday — with the state's fourth attempt at the legislation considered the most likely to succeed.
Two days of debate are expected on the bill, which was drafted by Legislative Council member Mike Gaffney and heavily amended after lengthy debate.
The House of Assembly will consider the legislation over its last two sitting days for the year before a final vote expected in February or March.
Premier Peter Gutwein told parliament that Liberal MP for Bass Sarah Courtney would be responsible for the Bill in the House of Assembly.
“Should the Bill pass its second reading on Friday, to ensure sufficient time is provided through the Committee stage with the agreement of the House, the Bill will become the first order of business for the House when the parliament resumes next year,” he said.
“I have advised previously that I have requested the University of Tasmania establish an independent review panel to consider the legislation and to provide members with information regarding how this legislation compares to similar laws in other states and around the world.
“The consideration of this legislation is a very significant responsibility.
“We owe it to all Tasmanians to ensure that we treat this very important matter, and the views shared, with the utmost respect.”
Mr Gutwein said that if passed, the bill would take effect in 18 months.
Ms Courtney said she would be voting in favour of the bill.
“It’s my view that individuals should have the right to be able to determine what happens to them,” she said.
“I think it’s the government and the parliament’s role to ensure that there are appropriate safeguards in aid to protect those that are most vulnerable in the community.
“So I do believe individuals are having those rights with regards to their own lives.
“As a parliamentarian my role is to ensure that legislation that enables people to have that right is as robust as possible to ensure that those that are vulnerable aren’t exploited.”
Labor and the Greens have both said they would support the bill.
Labor leader Rebecca White said her members were unanimous in their support.
Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said she expected the bill would pass.
“I believe it will pass the second reading stage and I know that again, we will have the most profound and moving debate on voluntary assisted dying, because no matter what perspective a member brings to the debate, because it’s a conscience issue.
“And that is where you do have an opportunity to have real quality, empathetic and meaningful debate in parliament.”
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