Premier must follow the will of the people on assisted dying

THE long awaited Queensland Health Committee’s in-depth inquiry into Physician Assisted Dying (PAS) headed by Thuringowa MP Aaron Harper was recently tabled in the Parliament and in opening a window to reality, in good conscience the majority findings within the report validated a case for legislative change.

Consistent with the Health Committee’s research, in this contemporary era of enlightenment, sensory global cultural demographics shifts are seeing more open-minded progressive liberal attitudes quickly changing to the good in accord with world views in respect for people’s basic human rights, especially in the area of merciful end-of-life decision making.

This was reflected and vindicated via the Health Committee’s profound findings after perusing over 5000 written submissions that revealed approximately 80 per cent upwards majority support for overdue change.

Upon reflection, with Victoria and WA along with many other liberal minded countries globally having now legislated PAS into their laws it vindicates how we have come a long way as a society in terms of recognition in support for positive community social reform.

Everybody knows when all quality of life has gone and life is not worth living.

Regrettably in the absence of harmonisation with the Premier being the incumbent and steadfastly not being proactive as expected in advancing the Health Committee’s findings, indefensible failed community expectations thus resulting in much communal derision and disquiet via the timid stalling of PAD legislation in the Parliament.

Against all good reasoning, it’s incompatible with good humanitarianism to deny the irreversible ill and those suffering unrelentingly and facing a drawn-out cruel moribund demise that also involves their stressed relatives from accessing autonomous end-of-life options.

That should be beyond political debate and be an inalienable civil right for all citizens to be free to choose the timing and manner of how they die and not for others to make that decision for them should that be their choice. Sometimes in the public interest, obligatory draconian outmoded law and questionable government criteria needs to be officially challenged within the public domain and judicially reviewed.

In accord with the democratic process of good government our humanity and democracy are on trial here especially when the majority will of the people is well known by the Premier.

RON BENNETT, Aitkenvale.