Inquiry to hold public hearings

THE Inquiry into Aged Care, End Of Life Palliative Care and Voluntary Assisted Dying was launched on the back of Victoria passing assisted dying laws in 2017.

Those laws come into effect later this year and the Queensland inquiry will look at a number of similar issues.

After receiving 59 submissions from members of the public since it was announced in November last year, the committee of five MPs is expected to begin public hearings as early as this month.

The Health, Communities, Disability Services and Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Committee will run the inquiry.

Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada and the United States are among the countries to recently have legalised variations of assisted dying.

In most cases, patients have to suffer from a terminal illness and be in unbearable pain.

Switzerland, however, offers citizens and non-citizens the ability to access the service with no eligibility criteria or safeguards, according to a factsheet published by the state parliament committee.

The key question the inquiry has been asked to consider is whether voluntary assisted dying should be allowed in Queensland and the communities’ views on changing the law to legalise euthanasia.

However, the year-long process will cover issues surrounding concerns from the state’s medical practitioners and other elements associated with aged care.

Submissions made to the Royal Commission into Aged Care will also be considered by the committee.

Health Minister Steven Miles previously told the Brisbane Times that end of life matters were typically decided by a conscience vote and that he expected a bill to be put before the house after a report is handed down in November.