Page 2953 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 14 August 2013
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issues I want to raise, I want to raise the issue of euthanasia so it is very clear as we talk about these issues what the position of the opposition is. As Ms Porter raised, section 23 of the self-government act essentially means this is not an issue that should be debated in this place. I hope this is not some sort of move by stealth to try and hide behind what should be a good motion to raise this as an issue in this Assembly.
The opposition’s position is that we support the status quo of section 23. It is a conscience issue, but it is quite clear that this is not an issue that should be left to this Assembly to dictate because the implications are national. These things are best dealt with at a national level or certainly by larger jurisdictions that have more checks and balances on their parliaments. I think that is a position that has been made clear over time, and I want to put that on the record as I speak further about these issues.
When it comes to end-of-life issues, the medical, ancillary and health support professionals involved in palliative care—the end-of-life work—those individuals who choose to give their time and experience helping people as their lives are ending, deserve a great deal of respect and thanks from us all in the wider community. The fact is that death and dying is inevitable, and it is an experience that eventually touches each of us individually in a myriad of challenging, daunting and sometimes frightening ways, either as we face our own death or experience the approaching end of a loved one. I know a number of people in this chamber have had to deal with this personally, be it recently or over time, and it is a very difficult issue for individuals to deal with. It is an experience we can never fully be prepared for, even as our loved ones, particularly our parents, age. We can never be quite prepared for the final day.
Professional and well-planned and funded palliative care and end-of-life planning is a mark of a caring and civilised society which has its priorities right, to recognise the needs of all its community members at every stage of life’s journey. The Canberra Liberals are pleased to note and acknowledge the recommendations of the recent ACT Local Hospital Network Council that held its end-of-life issues and decision-making forum. I have read the report that was tabled by the Chief Minister yesterday, and I will go to some of the key issues in that report.
Management of death is a health issue. In the past death was seen as something that was beyond the health system. Medical practitioners were perhaps focused on health outcomes at the beginning of life and throughout life but not at the end. Medical involvement sometimes was viewed as simply to issue the death certificate. But increasingly and correctly we are accepting death and dying as health matters.
As a caring society we need to address our society’s culture around death and normalise death and dying. The sooner health professionals have contact with people who can help us accept the fact of dying, the better the outcomes and the experience will be for all of us. An important part of a well-lived life should be a death which is as good an experience as it can be made. The report actually talks about a healthy death. When I read that, I struggled with the concept of a healthy death, but I understand what the report is trying to get at—that is, we should not view death as something that is not normal or something we should avoid talking about. It is a part of life’s journey.
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