State must hold inquiry into voluntary euthanasia laws
PLANS by a 104-year-old Perth man to fly to Switzerland to access its voluntary euthanasia laws underline the need for Queensland to follow Victoria’s lead and hold a parliamentary inquiry that can lead to workable laws regulating voluntary assisted dying.
Stories detailing how noted WA academic, Dr David Goodall, has been forced to use Swiss laws after admitting he has tried several times to take his own life show the type of human tragedy and despair being inflicted on individuals and their families in the absence of voluntary euthanasia laws.
At least the WA Parliament has begun an inquiry into voluntary euthanasia, but any new laws will be too late for Dr Goodall, and Victoria’s laws do not take effect until next year.
There are many people in Dr Goodall’s position whose physical health and quality of life has deteriorated to the extent they no longer wish to go on.
The parliamentary inquiry held before new laws were debated and passed in Victoria heard evidence from that state’s coroner showing at least one person each week took their own life because they were in the same position. Surely we cannot continue withholding the choice of voluntary euthanasia from people in that position and forcing them into often horrific actions to end their lives.
Other states – but not Queensland – have debated this issue and some have attempted but failed to pass new laws.
The success of Victoria in passing voluntary euthanasia laws followed a full and open parliamentary inquiry.
People may hold different views for or against voluntary euthanasia, but nobody should oppose a parliamentary inquiry to give everyone a say, hear expert evidence, examine how overseas laws work, and sift fact from fiction.
Meeting those aims has seen inquiries in Victoria and the one now under way in WA take more than a year.
That means our MPs in the Queensland Parliament must act now to establish a parliamentary inquiry so any new laws that arise from it can be debated as soon as possible.