Legalising euthanasia: What you need to know after parliamentary inquiry announced – ABC Online

Updated August 10, 2017 15:41:13

WA Parliament has set the stage for a renewed debate on legalising euthanasia, but the push to allow medically-assisted death still faces plenty of hurdles to eventuate.

Parliament has agreed to set up a committee to look at the matter and a vote on whether to legalise euthanasia could come as soon as next year.

Here is what you need to know about the euthanasia debate and what happens from here.

Officially, the Legislative Assembly has voted to establish the 'Joint Select Committee on End of Life Choices'.

The motion set up by Morley MP Amber-Jade Sanderson will report on the "need for laws in Western Australia to allow citizens to make informed decisions regarding their own end of life choices".

In practice, that means the committee will hold a series of hearings over the coming months to investigate proposed legislative changes and review the laws in other jurisdictions.

If it were to recommend changes to euthanasia laws, it would also need to suggest a scope for laws - in other words, who would be allowed to end their life and under what circumstances.

The committee will then be due to report back within a year.

If Premier Mark McGowan gets his way, that committee's work will lead to a vote on euthanasia legislation as early as next year.

It is Mr McGowan's hope that a bill comes out of the committee's work, with every MP in Parliament to be given a free vote.

But even if that progresses as advocates plan, and a bill is voted upon by Parliament in 2018, it could still be some time until euthanasia becomes legal in WA.

The model currently being considered by Victoria would not allow people to seek a medically assisted death until 2019 and it is possible any WA change would also be somewhat delayed.

Mr McGowan supports voluntary euthanasia for those with terminal illnesses, but will give Labor MPs a conscience vote on the matter and the party has been split on the matter in the past.

Both the Liberals and Nationals will give their MPs a conscience vote, while One Nation is also expected to leave the choice up to its three Upper House members.

Within both of the major parties, there are a mix of people either firmly for or against legalising euthanasia.

The Greens are firmly supportive of euthanasia though, stating on their website that those with terminal illnesses should have the choice of a "dignified, pain-free death".

Because the vast majority of MPs are not bound to a party position, it is unlikely to become clear for a long time whether any bill would make it through Parliament.

Yes, in fact the debate has regularly come up in Parliament over the last two decades.

In 2010, a bill put forward by Greens MP Robin Chapple was defeated 11-24 in the Upper House and never made it to the Legislative Assembly.

Both the major parties allowed their MPs a conscience vote on the matter for that 2010 debate.

But not a single Liberal MP supported the measure after then-Premier Colin Barnett labelled it "sanctioned killing" while five out of 11 Labor MPs also voted against it.

Private members bills introduced in 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2002 also made little progress.

Euthanasia was briefly legal in the Northern Territory but is now illegal in all Australian jurisdictions.

Recent efforts to legalise it in Tasmania and South Australia were defeated, but Victoria is considering allowing those with advanced and incurable medical conditions to seek a medically assisted death from 2019.

Some US states have legalised euthanasia, including California - where those with a terminal illness and aged over 18 can request life-ending medication.

Euthanasia or assisted suicide are also legal in a handful of European countries, Canada and Japan.

Topics: euthanasia, state-parliament, wa

First posted August 10, 2017 13:17:10

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Legalising euthanasia: What you need to know after parliamentary inquiry announced - ABC Online