Page 4782 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 1 November 2017
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
schemes with one house of a state parliament even passing it—the ACT is operating in an environment where our powers to legislate have been stripped from us.
As I mentioned, two decades ago the commonwealth parliament passed the Euthanasia Laws Act 1997 to incapacitate this Assembly when it comes to making laws on voluntary assisted dying or voluntary euthanasia. The person who brought the bill—Kevin Andrews—did not, and does not, live in the ACT. He has never been an elected representative of the ACT. But he and other federal parliamentary colleagues—the vast majority, again, not from here—decided that, when it comes to considering the morality and ethics of voluntary assisted dying in the ACT, the commonwealth knows best. We need to change that, because we can speak for ourselves.
Since 1996 we have seen voluntary assisted dying legalised in a number of jurisdictions, including Switzerland, Germany, Japan, Canada and eight states in the USA. Euthanasia has been legalised in the Netherlands, Belgium, Colombia and Luxembourg. The floodgates have not opened in these jurisdictions. In fact, experience has shown that many people who are approved for voluntary assisted dying decide not to go through with it. But they consistently report that they find great comfort in simply having the choice. That is what this is about: choice.
Meanwhile, in the past 20 years, the population of the ACT has grown from around 300,000 people to over 400,000 people. Our sense of identity has changed from one of a public service town, focussed on federal issues, to a thriving city in our own right. We have matured as a jurisdiction. I can appreciate that in 1997 we had not had self-government for very long; our Assembly had not even reached its teenage years. But in 2017 we have self-governed for almost 30 years.
With our maturation has come an increased expectation that this Legislative Assembly will lead in the interests of the territory and reflect the socially progressive priorities of our community. That is exactly what we work hard to do every single day. It is extremely disappointing that not one of us here is able to effectively represent the people who elected us on the issues of voluntary assisted dying. The federal parliament allowing this act to continue to operate is utterly disrespectful. It is in the face of these challenges that we must ensure that the commonwealth hears us when we say that we want our powers back. Its paternalism is not needed here. The people of the ACT deserve the right to debate whether to have the choice of voluntary assisted dying in our jurisdiction.
I have started a petition to restore the ACT’s right to determine our own laws regarding voluntary assisted dying. I am pleased that some of my other colleagues have been running with the same petition. It has received hundreds of signatures. I am aware that my Greens colleagues also have a similar petition running. I throw my full support behind their efforts too. But more than that is needed. As elected representatives here in the ACT where we are restricted, we must do everything we can. With this motion I urge every member to raise the need to repeal the commonwealth’s Euthanasia Laws Act with federal counterparts and colleagues wherever possible and appropriate.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video