Page 2927 - Week 09 - Thursday, 18 September 2014
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I urge members to support the motion. It is not asking you to commit on the question of euthanasia. It is not asking you to declare your position one way or the other, but it is asking you to say that this Assembly is entitled to determine its own will and enact and implement its responsibilities to reflect the views of the community that we are here to serve. I commend the amendment and the motion to members.
MR HANSON (Molonglo—Leader of the Opposition) (12.01): The opposition will support the amendment, which is minor. I would not say it is technical, though, because the minister has rightly identified the fact that, should it come to pass that these laws be debated in the Assembly, they would be considered and not necessarily passed. I acknowledge the minister’s view that there are a range of issues, a range of views, that should these laws come to be debated here, they will not be necessarily passed. That is, and I would like to reiterate those points, there is a variety of views in this place when it comes to these laws and I would not seek to change anyone’s views on that. These are difficult and complex issues. There are those in favour; there are those against, for a variety of reasons. That is fine. That should not be conflated as being essentially the reason that we are opposed to this motion. I have outlined very clearly why we do oppose this legislation.
Interestingly, I think the minister and I probably have a reasonably similar opposition when it comes to this. I would say that I would not support a bill if it were to be brought to this place. I would be very open about my position. I have nothing to hide. These are very vexed questions for people. There have been identified a number of reasons that would lead to my opposition to such a bill, including protections for particularly vulnerable people, people who are elderly in particular, and simply the complexity and difficulty of enacting such a law.
That does not diminish the view that I am sure all of us would have in this place, across the divide, whether we support these sort of laws or not—a great sympathy and a great desire to do everything that we can for those who are in pain, who are suffering, who are facing complicated end-of-life issues. I think that we would all share in the view that we should do what we can to support that, up to the point of whether we would support a euthanasia bill.
So we will be supporting the amendment, which better reflects the approach of this Assembly.
I would make the point further, Madam Speaker, that if it does come to pass that you write to the Prime Minister, you should reflect, if you would, Madam Speaker, that there was not a unanimous view in this place, that this was an issue that was close. Perhaps you could outline the closeness of the vote in the debate when it comes to pass.
MADAM SPEAKER: Could I just call on the manager of government business to move a procedural motion.
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