NEW Health Minister Roger Cook is calling for euthanasia to be legalised in WA in response to a growing demand for terminally ill patients to have the right to end their life. <\/p>\n
Mr Cook said he supported voluntary euthanasia and wanted the WA public to have a considered and informed debate about law reform. <\/p>\n
I support voluntary euthanasia and I think we need to legislate to enable people to take control of their lives in their final stages, he said. <\/p>\n
Any debate in parliament on assisted suicide for terminally ill patients would have to be part of a wider community debate. Mr Cook said that while the Labor Government would not introduce law reform as part of a policy, it supported individual members to table a private members Bill. <\/p>\n
He said Labor would allow MPs to exercise a conscience vote on euthanasia. <\/p>\n
Labor MLC Alannah MacTiernan and Greens MLC Robin Chapple have been working towards introducing a Bill to allow assisted dying. <\/p>\n
Mr Cook said he would welcome an inquiry by a parliamentary committee in the lead up to any Bill. <\/p>\n
Last year, The Sunday Times WA Speaks survey of more than 10,000 West Australians showed almost 90 per cent supported voluntary euthanasia. <\/p>\n
Mr Cook said the tragic death of the former executive director of the WA Cancer Council, 75-year-old Clive Deverall, should not be in vain. <\/p>\n
Mr Deverall took his life on March 11 after suffering for 20 years from a rare form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. <\/p>\n
His wife, Noreen Fynn, revealed at his funeral on Monday that he had a left a note that said suicide is legal, euthanasia is not. <\/p>\n
Mr Cook said if anything was to be gained from this very sad event then it should be proactive legislative change. <\/p>\n
Ms MacTiernan, who is the new Agriculture Minister, said she would continue her work on law reform for dying with dignity. <\/p>\n
I will ensure this legislation is introduced, she said. <\/p>\n
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Bid for voluntary euthanasia in WA - Perth Now<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" NEW Health Minister Roger Cook is calling for euthanasia to be legalised in WA in response to a growing demand for terminally ill patients to have the right to end their life. Continue reading