Senator Bob Brown's Bill Goes To Second Reading

Parliament House Canberra, Sep. 5 2007

AUSTRALIAN TERRITORIES RIGHTS OF THE TERMINALLY ILL BILL 2007 Second Reading
Speech Senator BOB BROWN (Tasmania-Leader of the Australian Greens) (10.31
a.m.)-

I move:
That this bill be now read a second time.
I seek leave to have the second reading speech incorporated in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The speech read as follows-

This is a Bill for an Act to confirm the right of a terminally ill person to request assistance from a medically qualified person to voluntarily terminate his or her life in a humane manner, to allow for such assistance to be given in certain circumstances without legal impediment to the person rendering the assistance, to provide procedural protection against the possibility of the abuse of the rights recognised in this Act, and for related purposes.

The Bill is patterned on the Northern Territory Rights of the Terminally Ill Bill of 1995, which was overturned by the national parliament in 1997. Similar euthanasia laws are now available to the citizens of the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, and the state of Oregon in the United States.

The Medical Journal of Australia has reported that hundreds of terminally ill citizens are assisted to an early death by compassionate medical attendants each year. Indications by terminally ill people that they wish to die are not uncommon even though there remains a social stigma on this issue.

The safeguards against misuse of the option of euthanasia are built into the Bill and this option is only available for adults.

The Bill also takes good account of the option of palliative care and cannot be used where, in the doctor's opinion, palliative care is reasonably available to alleviate the patient's pain and suffering to levels acceptable to the patient.

At least a week must elapse between the day the patient's medical practitioner is told she or he wants to die and the patient has signed a certificate requesting assistance to die. At least 48 hours more must pass before the patient's request is fulfilled. At any time in this process the patient can verbally rescind her or his request.

I commend the Bill to the Senate.