Page 2679 - Week 09 - Thursday, 25 August 1994
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that the chair of the Select Committee on Euthanasia be given leave to bring in a Bill for an Act to make provision with respect to the withholding or withdrawing of medical treatment and for related purposes in the form set out in Appendix D to the report.
In relation to recommendation No. 1, the Government agrees with this recommendation and has made funding available within the health budget for the appointment of a director of palliative care at Woden Valley Hospital. However, there have been some difficulties in recruiting a suitably qualified specialist to this position, given the previous uncertainties created by the debate on the establishment of the hospice. Now that the hospice is well and truly under construction on Acton Peninsula and the arrangements for the operating of that hospice are being put in train, I expect that there will be progress on that late this year or early next year.
In relation to the second recommendation, that the Voluntary and Natural Death Bill 1993 not be proceeded with, the Government agrees with this recommendation, and I note that the Bill was discharged from the notice paper on 11 May. The Government is aware that a great deal of genuine concern exists in the community on the issue of active euthanasia. Accordingly, the Government did not intend at this time to support those sections of the Voluntary and Natural Death Bill which provided for active euthanasia.
In relation to the third recommendation, that the chair of the Select Committee on Euthanasia be given leave to bring in a Bill, the Government agrees with this recommendation and notes that such a Bill was introduced on 21 April 1994, that the Bill addresses the common law rights of patients to refuse unwanted medical treatment and to receive pain relief, and that it also gives protection to health professionals who act in good faith in accordance with a patient's wishes. The Government considers that this Bill is a positive step in clarifying the law in the area of active medical treatment and looks forward to further discussions about the Bill's provisions when it is fully debated. I have a formal response to table.
MR MOORE (11.22), in reply: I point out to members that in rising to speak at this point I effectively close the debate, although the Medical Treatment Bill has now been tabled and therefore members who wish to comment on this matter will have a further opportunity to do so. I welcome the Government's response to the report and look forward to a continuation of that debate, which I hope will be brought on at the next sitting.
I would like to recall how important it was, as far as the committee was concerned, that a suitably qualified pain management specialist be appointed to the public hospital system in the Territory, in that we made that our very first recommendation. It was an issue that was brought to us by many people and we thought it appropriate that it be done in that way. I note the Government's response that there have been difficulties in appointing such a suitably qualified person, and I urge the Government to continue their efforts to find an appropriate person. I thank the Government for their positive response.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
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