The people of Canberra have been invited to help shape the development of a voluntary assisted dying model for the Territory.
Opening consultation on the step toward end of life choices, Minister for Human Rights, Tara Cheyne said voluntary assisted dying was a safe and effective medical process that gave an eligible person the option to end their suffering by choosing how and when they die.
“With strong community support for voluntary assisted dying in the ACT, this consultation is about understanding the community’s views about how a scheme in the ACT could work, including eligibility criteria and appropriate safeguards,” Ms Cheyne said.
To assist the consultation, the Justice and Community Safety Directorate, ACT Health and Canberra Health Services have produced a discussion paper with information and analysis on the operation of voluntary assisted dying schemes in Australian States.
Ms Cheyne said the paper, open for feedback until 6 April, also presented some of the key questions the Territory will need to consider in developing its approach to voluntary assisted dying.
“While we have the benefit of existing legislation and experiences in the Australian States, they are at different stages of implementation and each jurisdiction has its own unique characteristics,” the Minister said.
“Through this consultation, we are looking to learn and draw from other jurisdictions’ experiences while developing a model which reflects our own community’s values,” she said.
“In addition to looking forward to hearing from the Canberra community, the Government will engage directly with health professionals and a broad range of interested stakeholders throughout the consultation period.”
Ms Cheyne said that following consultation, the Government would prepare a listening report that summarised and reflected community feedback.
She said the report would inform the development of the legislation, “which we intend to introduce into Parliament in the second half of 2023”.
The 48-page discussion paper Voluntary Assisted Dying can be accessed at this PS News link.
