Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (14:57:10) — I rise to speak because I think this is a very good amendment and it really adds to the bill. I think that has been illustrated by the second-reading speeches from both sides tonight — or, no, when was it? Two weeks ago? I think, I think, I think I can. Whenever it was, I really support this amendment. We heard in the second-reading speeches that people have been using information from other jurisdictions. It is very useful information.
Surprisingly this is probably one moment in this whole debate when Mrs Peulich and I will agree. She was asking for this information earlier. This amendment provides very good information that will allow us to adequately monitor this scheme.
Ms PATTEN — This amendment has concerned me greatly. Having had to schlep around my father’s death certificate to various banks, various electricity companies and various organisations which had no reason to know the depth of how my father died, I found this a very difficult amendment. I am willing to accept it, but I would just like to correct Mr Finn. This in no circumstances hides the fact that someone accessed voluntary assisted dying. This clearly puts that voluntary assisted dying was the manner of death. It certainly puts that the reason someone accessed this was because they were dying from a terminal illness, and I accept that, but it in no uncertain circumstances lists that.
For a family that might be quite torn on this issue — you may have a husband and a wife dealing with this, and they go through the voluntary assisted dying program and process and they do that maybe unbeknownst to their children; maybe their children did not support voluntary assisted dying — this amendment means that that story must be told after that person has died. That family must then possibly tear themselves apart because of what may be fundamental and moral objections, as we have seen in this house today, to the decision that that deceased person made. Under no circumstances should we think that this hides the fact that someone has access to voluntary assisted dying, because it does not.
