Page 4612 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 27 November 2019
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MS CHEYNE (Ginninderra) (11.22), in reply: I thank my colleagues for their united show of support today. Before I get to the heart of what I want to say I place on the record my surprise and disappointment at Ms Le Couteur’s remarks at the start of her speech. I appreciate it is not the substance of her speech but she and I have stood side by side on this so many times. Yes, it is absolutely a pity that we are discussing this today. I would prefer not to be; I think we all would prefer not to be no matter our stance on the issue, and I see Mrs Jones smiling. But we need to keep bringing back this issue for a reason.
We are not short of ideas for motions, and Ms Le Couteur knows this. That was a really cheap shot. If she is sick of talking about the issue, then fine—don’t. But at a time when more and more states are legislating for assisted dying with Western Australia days away, maybe today—probably not, but maybe—it is right for us to draw attention to this and redouble our own efforts and to formally make that commitment here today.
I acknowledge the commitments of the Chief Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, who was very open today. So I ask Ms Le Couteur to reflect on her comments at the start of her speech—again, I appreciate it was not the substance of the speech—and the appropriateness of them, particularly in light of the community members in the gallery today and her own party members for whom this issue matters so much and who say to us that they want us to keep talking about it as parties and as a united government.
It is especially surprising when there was a genuine show of unity across the chamber today, and I thank Mr Coe in particular for his respectful remarks. I note his remarks and conflation that people may think this is a proxy debate for legalising voluntary assisted dying. I recognise that people may think this is a proxy issue, and I will respect that, but this is not a proxy debate today, and that is why I was shaking my head, for the record.
I remind members and the community that if our rights are restored, as they should be, there would be no ramming through of voluntary assisted dying legislation. I know some people are concerned about that and I recognise and respect that. But we have said repeatedly that it simply will not be the case. Our Attorney-General has repeatedly said that that will not be the case, and he did so again for the record today, and I underline that for anybody who has have concerns.
For us working together as a parliament in considering legislation, if it ever came to pass, you would only have to look at the work of the committee on end of life choices, which had two opposition members, two government members and one crossbench member, Ms Le Couteur. All issues were carefully considered. The report was unanimous, which I do not think anyone reasonably expected, particularly when they knew who was on the committee and how diametrically opposed some of us are on almost everything. Yet Mrs Dunne and I worked together closely to draft the chapter on voluntary assisted dying, which I am sure continues to surprise everyone who knows us.
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