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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 2 Hansard (26 February) . . Page.. 433 ..

MR BERRY (11.01): Mr Speaker, the debate, both here and around the country, has ensured that this issue has been addressed at least in some part by most people. I think that is a good thing. We in this Assembly began our consideration some years ago. That consideration, as I recall, had its origins in the policy which was developed by my party. I come from a position of being pro-choice in this matter, and so does my party. The choice in this circumstance is the choice of the individual to make decisions about their life. There are many different views about euthanasia. For me, it is about letting go; it is about letting an individual make their own decisions; and, importantly, it is about dignity.

We have seen how advances in medicine have changed society. Modern medicine can keep people alive longer than ever before. Too often advances have been accepted, I think, without consideration of their impact on either society or the individual. These advances are accepted without debate. Many of us have known people whose lives have ended because of an incurable illness, but it is hard for me to accept that their passing is not always controlled by their illness or their will to live or die but by the treatment they receive and the decisions of their medical advisers.

It troubles me that no other legal option might be chosen by the terminally ill. This Bill provides that option. What we are deciding here today is: Who makes the decision about when to cease treatment and who decides when the suffering is intolerable? I think it is not for me to decide. It is not for others to decide. It is for the individual to decide. This Bill is about allowing individuals to say, "This is my life. This is my suffering and I will say when enough is enough - not the medical profession, not the churches, not society and certainly not parliamentarians".

It is not up to us to say that euthanasia is right or wrong, no matter what our conscience tells us. It is up to the conscience of the individual. It is our responsibility to ensure that people or their carers will not be punished for an individual's decision to end their own life. This Bill provides that protection. It is also the responsibility of us, as legislators, to stop turning a blind eye to what is happening in the community. That euthanasia happens daily is a fact. Mrs Carnell drew our attention to that fact when she talked about the prescription of drugs to relieve pain. The administering of those drugs is known to have the effect of ending life. So, in effect, euthanasia happens without proper regulation. I think it is about time we acknowledged that fact and put into place the appropriate safeguards - safeguards for people who choose euthanasia and safeguards for those with the compassion to respect the wishes of the suffering.

I do not know whether I would ever consider euthanasia for myself, but my personal choice in this matter should not drive my judgment on this. What is at issue is that I act in a manner which will allow others to make the decision for themselves. I do not even consider trying to make that decision for them. It is not my decision to make. What I should do is leave others to make their choice, and I urge my Assembly colleagues to do the same. I have no doubt in my mind that few will use this law if it is passed. I think there will not be many people who will use it. The will to live is strong. It is only under intolerable suffering that people would consider an option such as that provided by this Bill.

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