Page 994 - Week 03 - Thursday, 21 March 2019
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Recommendation 10 is to consider trial funding of death cafes so that there is much greater literacy in the community about what death is. We live in a society where many people have little exposure to death and may well have never seen a dead person. We looked at the Productivity Commission, which recently did a report on end of life care in Australia, and we thought that we should implement those recommendations.
Recommendations 13 to 24 are on palliative care. We all recognise that this is an incredibly important part of end of life care. Basically, we are looking at an expansion and more counselling, more palliative care being available in residential aged care and in the home. For many people, better palliative care is the end of life option that they are looking for, and we would like to see that.
I commend the report not only to the Assembly but to the wider community. I hope it will be a step forward to a happier, healthier, more tolerant and inclusive life for all of us in Canberra.
MS CHEYNE (Ginninderra) (3.58): For a range of reasons, it has been a remarkable 16 months since this inquiry began, and we conclude with, I think I can safely say, an extraordinary report. This report is the product of a significant amount of hard work by so many, not least the record-breaking number of people who submitted to this inquiry. It shows, without doubt, how important end of life issues are to Canberrans. I want to put on the record my thanks that so many people took the time to share their experiences and their views—so many thoughtful and considered views—so candidly with the committee through submissions and appearances. For many, it was very difficult to write their submissions and appear before the committee. For still more, it was too difficult to write a submission. But they, too, need to be acknowledged for following this inquiry so closely. Thank you to all.
As a result of the considerable evidence we have heard, as a committee, we have not only prepared a substantial report but also prepared meaningful recommendations. If the government chooses to implement them, I believe they will genuinely make a difference to people at the end of their lives and they will also, importantly, support our healthcare workers.
The work we have done on palliative care and advance care plans in particular is critical. I want to acknowledge that every single recommendation in this report was agreed to by the committee and that, probably to many people’s surprise, there is no dissenting report and just one dissenting comment.
It is particularly important for me personally to draw attention to the final chapter, being the chapter on voluntary assisted dying, the appropriateness of a scheme in the ACT and what a possible scheme could or should look like. As most people are aware, right in the middle of this inquiry was the very unfortunate, and, in my view, frankly shameful outcome in the Senate that resulted in our territory rights not being restored, meaning that for the time being we simply cannot legislate in this space.
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