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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-03-03 Daily Xml
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VOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (15:54): I would like to take this opportunity, first of all, like the member for Taylor, to thank minister Zollo for her great contribution as a minister, and also minister McEwen for his great contribution to his portfolios. I have had the honour of being on both of their caucus committees. While they have been vastly different in the way they operate, the full and frank way in which both ministers have dealt with us backbenchers has been very much appreciated.

On a personal note, I am very sad that minister Zollo has left the ministry. In addition to her expertise, it means the number of women in cabinet has gone down by one.

I am very sad that the Independent member for Mount Gambier is not now in cabinet because, in my view, he was its only agrarian socialist, so it is also a sad day for the socialists. I take this opportunity to congratulate the members for Napier and West Torrens on their ministries. I am sure they will be wonderful ministers. I also congratulate the member for Bright on her position of Parliamentary Secretary.

As members of parliament, we can also participate, if we choose, in the parliamentary intern scheme. I have been very fortunate to work with Dr Clem McIntyre from Adelaide University and, more recently, Dr Haydon Manning from Flinders University. Anna-Kate Sutton was my parliamentary intern in the last round, and she looked at the issue of legislative provisions for achieving voluntary euthanasia in South Australia.

As many members of this house are aware, a number of us feel very strongly about this issue and would like to see either amendments to existing legislation or appropriate legislation supporting voluntary euthanasia in South Australia. Anna-Kate Sutton analysed many of the different models in existence, including those in the Netherlands, Belgium and Oregon and the short-lived (excuse the pun) Northern Territory model.

I also asked her to look at possible legislation that could be introduced, suggesting that, in the South Australian context, an amendment to the Consent to Medical Treatment and Palliative Care Act 1995 may be a way of addressing this very important issue. I was reminded by my parliamentary intern of the comments made by former senator and Howard government minister Amanda Vanstone.

As many people in this house are aware, she has always been an advocate for voluntary euthanasia. However, in relation to the stem cell debate (this is prescient for us today), she has said that people of a religious persuasion are entitled to follow their religious beliefs but that they are not entitled to demand by legislation that everyone else does the same.

So, it is interesting, when we note that there is a majority view in Australia that supports voluntary euthanasia with safeguards, that there is in our community support for and understanding of circumstances under which life may end prematurely by taking decisions such as switching off life-support systems. We already have those sorts of views in our community.

Most recently, other members in this house and the other place would have received a memorandum from the Hon. John Dawkins about Christians supporting the Choice for Voluntary Euthanasia group. I am very pleased to see that members of this group have decided to make their views known and to support the campaign that has been very ably led by the SAVES organisation in this state. I think this really raises the issues of when we will have this progressive legislation and the support in our community for such a measure.

Time expired.

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