Page 5399 - Week 14 - Thursday, 30 November 2017

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(b) ACT community views on the desirability of voluntary assisted dying being legislated in the ACT;

(c) risks to individuals and the community associated with voluntary assisted dying and whether and how these can be managed;

(d) the applicability of voluntary assisted dying schemes operating in other jurisdictions to the ACT, particularly the Victorian scheme;

(e) the impact of Federal legislation on the ACT determining its own policy on voluntary assisted dying and the process for achieving change; and

(f) any other relevant matter;

(2) the select committee shall consist of the following number of members, composed of:

(a) two Members to be nominated by the Government;

(b) two Members to be nominated by the Opposition;

(d) the Chair shall be a Government Member;

(3) the select committee be provided with necessary staff, facilities and resources;

(4) the select committee is to report by the last sitting day in 2019;

(5) if the Assembly is not sitting when the committee has completed its inquiry, the committee may send its report to the Speaker or, in the absence of the Speaker, to the Deputy Speaker, who is authorised to give directions for its printing, publishing and circulation;

(6) the foregoing provisions of this resolution, so far as they are inconsistent with the standing orders, have effect notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders; and

(7) nominations for membership of the committee be notified in writing to the Speaker within two hours following conclusion of the debate on the matter.

This motion seeks to establish a select committee to debate all relevant matters relating to managing the end of a person’s life, including palliative care. Members would be aware that currently federal legislation prevents the territories from the right to legislate in this area. This is something that is of significant concern to many in our territory, in the Northern Territory and, indeed, across the country.

It is worth noting that there are significant advocacy efforts across all political parties across the country now to remove this prohibition, particularly in light of other jurisdictions passing, in the case of Victoria, or considering, in the case of New South Wales and other states, their own forms of voluntary assisted dying legislative schemes.

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