Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Restoring Territory Rights Bill. Like Senator Chandler and Senator Brockman, I respect and appreciate the heavy burden that is on each of us in making this decision of conscience. This bill does present complex issues because, in being asked to support this bill, we are being asked to differentiate between the way that the states and the territories—the Northern Territory and the ACT—are constituted. This, for me, is a bill that I cannot support. I cannot support this bill because it's deeply offensive to me that one of the principal objectives of this bill is to give the territories the right to pass laws which would end human life. I understand and appreciate that everyone has very deeply felt convictions in relation to this issue.

For me, this is very personal. I lost my mum and my dad, both of whom spent a considerable period of time in palliative care at a young age. I have seen firsthand what families go through as they deal with loved ones reaching their end of life. For me, this bill, because of its inevitable consequence. is a statement that we in Australia are prepared to kill our most vulnerable, sometimes under circumstances when it becomes too difficult or perhaps too expensive or too inconvenient to allow them to live.

I think Senator Chandler has made a very sound point in this debate. We are being asked to pass a law—to change the current arrangements—to, essentially, give the territories the right to pass euthanasia laws, under circumstances where all of us in this place can't even be certain as to the safeguards that would be put in place if such laws were passed. I have consistently argued against euthanasia. For me, this is just inherently wrong. It represents state sanctioned killing, and it is a very poor reflection on a society which cannot look after their most vulnerable, particularly those who have a terminal illness.

A number of years ago, I advocated very strongly for a change in the law which currently allows the vile, evil organisations like Exit International to send suicide kits through the mail. I find it abhorrent that Australia Post and other parcel delivery companies may be unwittingly facilitating the end of someone's life by reason of allowing these kits to be mailed throughout Australia and facilitating mail going in and out of this country. For me, I've been a consistent worrier against the notion that any state should permit the deliberate killing of a life.

There's been a particular concern raised about Indigenous Australians. There are deep concerns in Indigenous communities that should these laws be passed, particularly, of course, in the Northern Territory, that these laws would be used to facilitate the end of the lives of Indigenous Australians. I think this applies across the board to all vulnerable Australians, and, while there may be some who are adamant that they want to end their own life, I also believe that the prospects of misuse of any law, including the laws that have been passed by the states, remain high.

When Victoria passed its voluntary assisted dying laws I described that day as a very black day for Victoria. I hope that we are able to change the law in Victoria. I hope that we as a society are able to drive more investment in palliative care, to respect the dignity of life and to reflect on the fact that even the most vulnerable deserve the dignity of life until the very end of their life.

One of the reasons I fought so hard for Anam Cara hospice, which was proudly supported by our government to the tune of more than $7 million, is because I wanted to make sure that in the Geelong region there would be a place of dignity where people who had a terminal illness would get the greatest possible care in their darkest days.

I'm only going to make a few brief remarks on this bill. Again, I reiterate my deep understanding of the complexity of this bill. I respect the fact that there are many who believe that the Northern Territory and the ACT should have complete autonomy when it comes to passing their own laws. But, at the end of the day, the Commonwealth, by reason of our constitutional arrangements, bears a great deal of responsibility. For that reason, knowing that one of the principle objectives of this bill is to facilitate laws which would lead to voluntary assisted dying or euthanasia being permitted in both the ACT and the Northern Territory, I cannot in all good conscience, from the bottom of my heart, support this bill.