Euthanasia opponents label consultation on WA laws 'a sham', raise alarm over safeguards

Belinda Teh is greeted by Premier Mark McGowan and Health Minister Roger Cook outside WA Parliament House. The 27-year-old Perth woman embarked on a 4500km journey from Melbourne to Perth after watching her mother die from breast cancer in 2016.Credit:AAP Image/Richard Wainwright

Prominent opponents of euthanasia in WA have slammed the state government's consultation processes on its draft "voluntary assisted dying" laws and questioned safeguards aimed at protecting vulnerable patients.

The proposed legislation, which was available on the Department of Health's website before it was introduced into Parliament yesterday afternoon, would legalise the prescription of lethal drugs to patients suffering intolerably from an illness that – on the balance of probabilities – would kill them between six and 12 months.

Premier Mark McGowan said yesterday the draft was the "culmination of lengthy and comprehensive consultation".

Health Minister Roger Cook said public consultation undertaken by former WA Governor Malcolm McCusker was the "biggest dialogue ever undertaken with the community by WA Health".

But Upper House Liberal MP Nick Goiran labelled the government's consultation process a "sham".

"Why did the government block the opposition's amendment to the parliamentary committee's terms of reference that would have seen it examine the risks of voluntary euthanasia?" he said.

"Why did the committee not examine any of the wrongful deaths in the few jurisdictions that have gone down this path?

"Why did the government block the release of the minutes of the committee meetings?

"Why did the government refuse to allow [Mr McCusker's] expert panel to consider the views of those opposed to euthanasia?"

Mr Goiran said it was difficult to take seriously Mr Cook's assurances the legislation would be safe.

"These facts alone demonstrate this has been anything but authentic consultation," he said.

Euthanasia legislation was unveiled today.@WAtoday Political Reporter @nathanhondros tells @oliverpeterson the Government believes its a "safe and compassionate" piece of legislation.

🎧https://t.co/PApzObAAXu#perthnews pic.twitter.com/ktysH1BNgg

— Perth LIVE 6PR (@PerthLive6PR) August 6, 2019

"Sham consultation would be more accurate. "Now we are seeing short-cuts in the lawmaking process." Professor Mary McComish, former dean of the University of Notre Dame's law school, said she was concerned some of the safeguards included in the bill wouldn't stack up under scrutiny. "At first sight it does look as though the concerns about safeguards have been listened to, but I have some concern about access to the whole process in regional and remote areas," she said. "The bill allows for first requests and final requests and administration requests for the [lethal] substance to be made by video conference, which would mean the patient does not even see the doctor or the doctor does not even see the patient physically for those very important parts of the process." (Click to Continue)

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Euthanasia opponents label consultation on WA laws 'a sham', raise alarm over safeguards