Page 2594 - Week 07 - Thursday, 2 August 2018
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
also support the principle that where a committee proposes to have a look at a piece of legislation, it should have that opportunity. That is very common in some parliaments. It is not so much a practice in this parliament.
The committees will need to think about how they are going to do this. Committee inquiries here tend to be at the lengthier end of the spectrum. People like to have time to look at these things. If committees are going to deal with legislation, we need to punch it through a bit faster.
We intend to support the referral to a committee, but there needs to be some discussion on the exact timing. I appreciate Mr Wall’s comments, but I am also mindful of the timetable that the minister is working to. Ms Le Couteur will shortly seek to adjourn this matter. We will sort that out and come back to it a bit later today.
Debate (on motion by Ms Le Couteur) adjourned to a later hour.
End of Life Choices in the ACT—Select Committee
Amendment to resolution
MS CHEYNE (Ginninderra) (10.32): I move:
That the resolution of the Assembly of 30 November 2017, which established the Select Committee on End Of Life Choices in the ACT be amended by adding the following paragraph:
“(8) notwithstanding the provisions of standing order 241, Committee considerations do not preclude Members from publicly discussing Territory rights, including the current Federal legislative restriction on voluntary assisted dying, to allow all Members to comply with that contained within (4) of the unanimously passed Voluntary Assisted Dying motion of 1 November 2017.”.
Madam Speaker, this is a small but important change. You will vividly recall, I am sure, that on 1 November 2017 I moved a motion which called on each member of the Legislative Assembly to raise with federal political colleagues and counterparts, as appropriate, the increasingly paternalistic and unreasonable curtailment of our legislative powers in this place and how poorly this reflects on the commonwealth parliament’s understanding of the ACT’s capacity to govern itself, and to convey to the commonwealth government and opposition, at every available and appropriate forum, the need to repeal the Euthanasia Laws Act 1997 and to restore to the territories the right to make laws in respect of voluntary euthanasia and voluntary assisted dying. You will recall, Madam Speaker, that this motion was passed unanimously.
On 30 November 2017 a select committee was established. Among its terms of reference is that it inquire into the impact of federal legislation on the ACT determining its own policy on voluntary assisted dying and the process for achieving change.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video