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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 2 Hansard (26 February) . . Page.. 505 ..

MR CORBELL (continuing):

In supporting this Bill, I would like to state very strongly - and I hope all the members supporting this Bill would agree - that it is based on a deep respect for individual dignity and humanity. Consequently, any moves to allow doctors, health professionals or any other person to impose treatment on an individual without their consent, such as has been claimed by the opponents of this Bill, is completely in contradiction to the principles of it. Any moves to amend the Bill to allow this or any sign that it is being practised, either now or after the passing of this Bill, I am sure would be rigorously opposed.

Mr Speaker, this Assembly has the clear authority to make this law. The citizens of this Territory should not be denied the opportunity to make a law which could legitimately be made in any of the States of Australia. In debating this Bill, I firmly believe that we must remember that at the heart of it is the right of a person who is terminally ill and whose suffering is unbearable to them. It is about their right to choose, according to their own conscience and belief, how they face their suffering. I personally believe that it should not be something dictated to us by the state, by churches, or by any one person's individual belief.

A request for assistance to die is one that can be made only by the individual. I am confident that the safeguards that are provided in this Bill ensure that that choice is made freely and in an informed manner. Mr Speaker, as a member of this Assembly, I feel strongly that we cannot deny those who suffer a terminal illness - a situation no-one in this Assembly has faced - the opportunity to choose how they will die, in what manner and at what time. This Bill provides for that, and I urge members to support the Bill.

MS REILLY (5.23): I rise to speak in support of this legislation. This is the first time I have spoken about this matter in this place, even though it has been discussed before. This issue is not a new one for me because, as other members of my party have mentioned, it has been a part of our policy for a number of years and there have been a number of discussions about it. It is not an issue that has been treated lightly; it is an issue we have looked at very carefully, and we have considered what the consequences of its introduction will be. I wish the interest in how I am going to vote on this that has come from various sections of the community and the media was sometimes shown in relation to other issues, because this is only one small issue in the community in the ACT. Unfortunately, we do not seem to be able to show an interest in the broad aspects of life.

In looking at the issue before us today, I want to point out several things. This Bill considers and strengthens the rights of the terminally ill, and that is really important. It is the rights of the terminally ill that are important, not just the issues surrounding doctors or relatives or other people. This legislation will give these people some say about what happens to their medical treatment, and I think that is important. This moves it away from "doctor knows best". The issue is broader than just looking at pain. A lot of the discussion about euthanasia and the issues surrounding it is about the alleviation of pain, but we are also talking about choice - the choice people have about treatment, how they want to organise their lives, how they want to live their lives, and when they decide to die. It is about access - access to information, access to the best ways of making decisions about various aspects of your life. It is also about control.

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