What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I strongly believe Queensland should introduce Voluntary Assisted Dying laws. We all should have a choice in the way we die but particularly anyone in unbearable pain or with a terminal illness, where quality of life is severely affected. Effective guidelines are essential so that a person can make these decisions prior to becoming incapacitated, and these decisions will be adhered to. Clearly there needs to be safeguards in place but there are many countries with longstanding regulations from which we can learn. Whilst Palliave Care is a wonderful service, it does not always meet the needs of the paent, and somemes suffering is prolonged. As has been said many mes - we are beer at End of Life care for animals than we are for humans. Far too many people are forced to live too long because there is no way out. Doctors must be free to follow E306 Jane Peterson 4563 their paent's wishes without fear of prosecuon. Yes

I believe that individuals should have the right to make their own end of life decisions if they are mentally capable of so doing. In the event that an individual does not have the mental capacity to make that decision, then assisted dying provided by a health care professional should be an opon. When making a will or Advanced Health Care Direcve or E307 Lynn Palmer 4207 Mental Health Care Directive the individual's wishes should be followed by those nominated. Yes

Allow assisted dying. Suicide IMO is another hangover from a previous deeply religious society of which we are no longer. It's my life, my E308 Matthew Palmer choice. How dare anyone think they can tell me when my life has lost all meaning and hope for me. Yes

Life is precious and, from a religious viewpoint, sacred. Everyone has a right to live his/her life in a dignified manner. If a person does not want to prolong his/her life due to a serious ailment/illness, he/she should not be put through avoidable medical treatments. Palliative care should be provided to those who want to die peacefully with minimum pain. As a Hindu, I would be careful not to create a precedence to kill people with drugs to assist in dying. Hinduism has a place for giving up one's body by desisting from eating food or taking any water provided a person wants to do so without any regret. If voluntary assisted dying does not involve usage of powerful drugs or medication but, instead - counselling and E309 Atmeshananda Swami 4300 easing of the pain of departing through religious methods I am all for it. No

If I had a terminal illness and knew I would have a diminished quality of life, I would like the choice to be able to end my suffering at a time when I felt I could not live on. Not only would this relieve my suffering, it would make the life I had left more peaceful and contented knowing I did not have to suffer on and on. The knowledge in advance, would give me a E310 Marjorie Johnson 4067 better quality of life for the time I had left. That would bring immense comfort to me. Yes Queensland should adopt a less restricve system than that currentliy in force in Victoria. E311 Paul Hudson 4051 While life is important, it should not be preserved at all costs. Yes Aged care should NOT be privatised, as profits will always come first. Everybody should have the right, when very ill, to E312 Amanda Gordon 4520 end their own life, in a safe, caring environment Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

It is time Queensland allowed terminally ill patients the right to choose when they end their life. To give them the right to end their life, at a time of their choosing, with dignity and legally. I have watched several family members and close friends who all had a terminal illness (cancer, lung disease and AIDS) suffer needlessly and for long periods of time because they did not have access to ending their own life at a me of their choosing. Not having this choice, causes undue stress for the patient, their family and loved ones. It also drains financial resources of the families and takes up room in hospitals and other medical facilies, which could be used by other paents. Choosing one's "Final Exit" should be a right that is allowed and not denied by government because of opposing religious or other views. We can assist our pets pass E313 Linda McMullen 4563 over the "Rainbow Bridge"; it's time we allow our loved ones the right to be able to end their life with dignity. Yes I would like to see the Law changed to allow Voluntary Assisted Dying. It is inhuman to let a person suffer at the end of their life as well as the impact that suffering has on the remaining family, as well as the cost. Human life is a form of animal and the law allows the assisted dying of all manner of animals so why not allow for the human animal to die with E314 Thomas Heitmann 4563 dignity, without suffering? Yes

As a middle aged full time working Police woman, I am the sole carer for my daughter and my elderly mother. We all live together and currently enjoy a great life. My mother has on numerous occasions though, said to me that if she is crippled by disease, can not look after herself, is unable to move or stand up on her own, can't feed herself and is bedridden, that she would like to take a substance, with her doctors approval, and part this earth the way she would like - with dignity, empathy, love and without pain. She feels that if her life ends up like this, being bedridden, totally reliant on others and me, and can not enjoy life, it would be too much of a burden, would not be a meaningful existence for her and wants to be able to have a say in her parng. I agree with her. I also do not want to burden my only child with the same financial and physical costs in the future, of having to look after me when I am bedridden and incapacitated. I would like to think that by the time I have lived a full life and I can not take care of myself independently, that the laws will have been changed to allow me, my doctor and my daughter, to have a say in my care, the value of living in such a state, and the quality of my life, with a view to passing away peacefully, in the knowledge I have lived the best life I could, surrounded E315 Hayley Firth 4421 by the people that care for and about me. Yes

E316 Andrew Davison 4102 We need to have a sensible pathway towards voluntary euthanasia like other countries who have regulated this Yes I object to the end of life bill. This is because I believe that in the beginning everything may be done correctly for the old people in severe pain. Over time it could be abused and used by relatives to get rid of old people to gain money. The old people could be made to feel useless and encouraged or forced to ask to end their life. Also I do not believe in the State E317 Mary Barlow 4103 giving permission for suicide. No What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I have witnessed the final days of both family members and palliative care clients in my practice as a community based occupational therapist. I have seen considerable suffering endured by these people and their families despite the best efforts of palliave care teams both in the hospital and in home based care. I have listened to countless requests for a hastening of the end by the dying when the person’s quality of life and enduring pain have been have been unbearable. I have seen people at the end of their life or suffering a complete loss of independent function given inappropriate life preserving medical intervention when they are unable to verbally refuse ongoing treatment which will prolong their suffering. My family members and many of my clients, knowing of the inevitable outcome of their terminal or degenerative condition, have previously expressed a wish for their lives to end with dignity at a time of their choosing. As this is almost always not possible without assistance I believe legislation is needed to allow those in this situation to make this choice with the best available assistance. It is what i would want at the end of my life. The choice to end my suffering and die with dignity. I would also like to ensure that the legislation did not impose conditions related to the prognosis of 3 Months to expected death as the course of many conditions can be prolonged with the person suffering a debilitating and painful illnesss over E318 Christine Sanders 4551 many months. Yes I fully support voluntary assisted dying. To die with dignity surrounded by your family is what we all want. We need to recognise and ease the suffering of our loved ones both those suffering and their families. We should not force people to E319 Glenda Te Moni 4018 suffer and give them choice.... This is humane. Yes E320 Confidential

I support the end of life and palliative care and voluntary assisted dying submission. I have had to witness enough people E321 John Gardiner 4350 in a vegetable state being kept alive for no reason. All this dose is cloud the memories of loving active people. Yes

My mother died of kidney cancer in Sept 2018. She (and us) were very lucky that she had a “good” cancer death. Her pain was managed, she fell into a deep sleep and then coma 2 days after arriving at the palative care home and died 5 days later. She was extremely lucky, however she always let us know that she wasn’t going to put up with severe pain or unimaginable suffering, she always wanted to have the choice to do what was best for her. I have never understood what type of human being would prevent another human being from having the ability to make a choice that suits them. It E322 Michelle Sorensen 4101 really is nobody’s business except the person who is suffering. Yes Australians deserve dignity at every stage of life. Aged care deserves minimum ratios of staff to residents, at all levels of qualifications. Aged care staff deserve a living wage, at all levels of qualification. I believe that it is a combination of insufficient regulation, lack of ratios and low value placed on aged care staff that has contributed to the poor standards E323 Katherine Angus 4169 we have come to expect in Australian aged care today. Yes

I believe it is up to the individual to make this decision, as long as they are of sound mind, or this should be discussed and made a clause when making a Will. My view is if the individual is at the time of age when there is no quality of life ,saying this I have watched many of my Family pass away with no dignity, no proper care ,with this I mean all to often laying in a E324 Janet Campbell 4818 public hospital ward in a nappy and pain that is beyond morphine based medicaon but sll of sound mind. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I would like to say that I don't want euthanasia/ voluntary assisted dying legalised in Australia. Just one year ago, I sat with my father as he took his last breaths as he died from cancer. He was well looked after and given pain relief. It was a very special time for me and my sister with Dad. Allowing the natural process of death to take it's course allowed us to grieve naturally and find healing for our relaonships with our father. Dad had been incapacitated from a stroke for about 3 years prior to his death, and he was very well looked after in an excellent high-care facility. He didn't cope with his disability and would often express his desire to kill himself. At other times he would say that he didn't want to die and he had so much to live for. Because Dad had lost mental capacity from a legal sense, my brother and I were his EPOA. We were both very relieved that Euthanasia wasn't legal so that we didn't have to consider making a decsision that would mean killing our father. That's not a decision that anyone should have to make about their parents. Had Euthanasia been legal, there would be the potential for family disputes. If one of my siblings was in financial need, they could easily have put pressure on us to make the decision to have Dad killed so that they could access their inheritance more quickly. When our doctors, nurses and carers shift to accepting death as a valid treatment for suffering, there will be a massive shi in all of society and life will be viewed more cheaply. When we sat with Dad while he died, it wasn't prey and it E325 Kate Bennie 4310 wasn't nice but that's life. Suffering is a part of life and in trying to avoid it, we will only shift it to someone else. No E326 Confidential

Community palliative care, for those who wish to die outside of a hospital setting with no artificial interventions other than pain relief, needs a one-stop approach where a home visiting GP and nurse are dispatched immediately to help family provide the last 2 - 30 days of care. I work as a private carer and a family I work for waited 7 days from the time their father lapsed into unconsciousness at home (likely a secondary stroke). He had an advanced health directive in place stating no interventions. But the family needed advice, a GP and a nurse plus pain assist knowing their loved one was easing into death. This brings me to right to end of life medication - why let someone suffer a systematic failure and E327 Megan Austin 4507 prolong by weeks what could be an immediate comfortable death. We need to stop be afraid of death. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I would like to begin by including some points from another who does not support EUTHANASIA in conjunction with my own. 1. It is obvious from the experience of other countries that where legal euthanasia has been enacted the constraints on euthanasia become less and less weak, that the reasons for euthanasia become more numerous (accountability is reduced), that the number of people (old and young) and categories of people that are 'mercy killed' keeps on increasing and misdiagnoses have occurred for incurable diseases which led to unnecessary deaths. 2. As a Christian I know that human beings are not autonomous, we are accountable to our Maker God. Included in this accountability is the government of my city, state and country. The time of my death is God's prerogative, not mine. 3. When the argument becomes about ‘free will choice’, then why does one need someone else to assist them in that choice? If one chooses to end their own life, give up, then they should have the courage to follow through on that choice and not be assisted to do so. Free will choice has consequences and people need to take that responsibility on them self. I would like to make the following proposal: INSTEAD OF FOLLOWING OTHER NATIONS BECOME A LEADER. Invest in ways to enhance and extend life, enabling people to live well rather than take the easy way out. Think outside the box. Extinguish all avenues to bring healing. Cherish Life over Death, promote Life over Death. Do not elet th legacy of the Anzacs be in vain. They took up the challenge and fought why won’t we? My desire is to for our Government to be willing to be set apart and stand for TRUTH and LIFE. I have include a link to the amended Hippocratic Oath, sorry “pledge” as it is now referred under the Geneva declaration that has been adopted by the World Medical Association in 2017. https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/new-hippocratic-oath-for-doctors- approved/12496?fbclid=IwAR2udaxQD06fH4HryqZowySIeJ7_SwdppfU90fHOTxZ2SKzNRkV4B1V3izQ What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

It is interesting to note the changes from the adoption of this declaration in 1948 to 2017. 1948: I will maintain the utmost respect for human life from the time of conception. 2017: I will maintain the utmost respect for human life. 1948: even under threat, I will not use my medical knowledge contrary to the laws of humanity. 2017: I will not use my medical knowledge to violate human rights and civil liberties, even under threat. 1948: I will maintain by all the means in my power, the honor and the noble traditions of the medical profession; my colleagues will be my brothers. 2017: I will foster the honour and noble traditions of the medical profession. Here is the complete text of the 2017 version: AS A MEMBER OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSION: I SOLEMNLY PLEDGE to dedicate my life to the service of humanity; THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF MY PATIENT will be my first consideration; I WILL RESPECT the autonomy and dignity of my patient; I WILL MAINTAIN the utmost respect for human life; I WILL NOT PERMIT considerations of age, disease or disability, creed, ethnic origin, gender, nationality, political affiliation, race, sexual orientation, social standing, or any other factor to intervene between my duty and my patient; I WILL RESPECT the secrets that are confided in me, even after the patient has died; I WILL PRACTISE my profession with conscience and dignity and in accordance with good medical practice; I WILL FOSTER the honour and noble traditions of the medical profession; I WILL GIVE to my teachers, colleagues, and students the respect and gratitude that is their due; I WILL SHARE my medical knowledge for the benefit of the patient and the advancement of healthcare; I WILL ATTEND TO my own health, well-being, and abilities in order to provide care of the highest standard; I WILL NOT USE my medical knowledge to violate human rights and civil liberties, even under threat; I MAKE THESE PROMISES solemnly, freely, and upon my honour. One of these new obligations on physicians, 'to share their knowledge for the benefit of their patients and for the advancement of healthcare' is part of the key to enable our Nation and State to be set apart, to be a leader and not a follower. Advancement of healthcare, not giving up! Please join me in standing for Truth and Life, don’t support any E328 Bonnie Zupp 4352 attempt for Euthanasia ever. No I think the pallave care and Assisted Dying of paents idenfied as terminal needs addressing. The pallave care E329 Trevor Manwarring 4224 network is poor with lile support to paents and families. Yes

Yes it should be legalised as it is in Switzerland. It should be defined as above i.e. Voluntary Assisted Dying. People who are eligible should be people who have an illness that has a very small chance of recovery and that suffer extreme poor quality of life (constant pain, nausea, inability to go about daily life without aid). It should be inially limited to people over 18 purely because of the political nature of the debate. Once people are comfortable with the idea, then is should be E330 Dean Culell 4223 extended to those under 10 who meet the criteria. Yes I totally agree with VAD and definitely think it should be legal. No one deserves to linger in severe pain or have a terminal E331 Jillian Richards 4221 illness of which they are nearing the end of life without any hope of improvement. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I believe that voluntary assisted dying should be passed into law in Queensland. There are many people who have seen family and friends have a painful and miserable death. This misery could have been avoided had the person had the right to say "That's enough" and make their farewells in a peaceful manner. Too many people, who oppose voluntary assisted dying because of their religious beliefs, quote the possibility of pressure being brought to bear on the dying person by family and friends. They are not upfront that their opposition is based on religious grounds. These opponents are unwilling for others to make a choice based on personal preferences. Nobody is trying to force it on them. Should an animal be suffering from a painfull incurable illness our society believes the animal's life should be ended - this is considered ethical. Those of us who do not have religeous beliefs would hope to have the E332 Monica Taylor 4567 option of voluntary assisted dying in an ethical way. Yes I watched my Mother die a terrible death without any possibility of recovery. I believe that in such circumstances the E333 Tony Condon 4223 person should have the right to die with dignity. Yes E334 THE COMMITTEE HAS NOT ACCEPTED THIS SUBMISSION E335 Confidential

I watched my elderly mother suffer before she passed away. She was 95, legally blind, dementia & ill health, there was never going to be some miraculous cure for old age. For 12 months we watched her waste away to a shadow of herself, suffered numerous falls, stressed & frightened, just sitting in a chair staring blankly., no memories, not knowing anyone or where she was. This was not living but purely existing, this is not quality of life. This in my opinion is inhumane & I would argue with anyone who thought otherwise. I fail to see how our medical professionals can look at the very elderly or people that are dying with absolute no chance of survival , sick & suffering & feel they need to prolong their existence . E336 Cheryl Dux 4224 Everyone has a right to leave this earth with dignity Yes E337 Confidential

Aer seeing the struggles of family members, I really do believe that we treat dogs beer than people. I hope by the me I reach the end of my life, the choice will be mine to make so that I don’t live in pain or discomfort. I believe people should be able to leave health directives setting out their wishes in the event they lose capacity, so that their wishes can prevail over the wishes of family or aorneys. I believe reasonable restrictions regarding when a person is able to make such decisions should be imposed. For example, E338 Jodie Lonard 4221 when terminally ill. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

Voluntary assisted dying must be legalised. I have seen my sister-in-law suffer for 2 years from Motor Neurone Disease and it was the saddest and most frightening period I have ever witnessed. The suffering, the inability to move any muscles, the inability to eat, swallow food, including saliva, the inability to go to the toilet and finally the inability to breathe as we watched her take her last breath was absolutely horrific. To watch a loved member of your family choke to death is not pleasant. How to do this? Have a team (maybe 3?) all agree that the patient is terminally ill and if the patient is able to agree to be euthanased (i.e. is well enough to make that decision) and at what stage of their disease they wish this to take place. If the patient is already on life-support or not in a position to make that decision, then the immediate family can decide this on their behalf. You politicians MUST agree to this. It is humane. There is no pleasure whatsoever in watching the suffering of a terminally E339 George Bournelis 4225 ill loved one. Yes E340 Nicholas Pritchard 4228 I support a persons right to choose if and when they wish to die. Yes E341 Confidential In today's society we must alleviate the pain and suffering inflicted on our loved ones through disease and trauma - be it their own decision or that of their immediate family in situations where there is no cure and no chance of the patient to E342 Denise Buckingham 4225 ever reverse their condition in the future. It is the only humane thing to do. Yes

After a few personal experiences of watching and visiting family and friends suffering in end of life situations I feel very strongly that Euthanasia is the kindest most respectful end of life for the patient or family member. The suffering that people endure is both unnecessary and not wanted by most patients. If people knew that when they are suffering most they could decide for themselves the day they would like to pass mainly with family and friends surrounding them. They would choose this opon. The need to go to overseas countries to end their lives without family is just not fair. It should be a personal choice with consulting doctors. My Personal thoughts would be to have the option to end my life when E343 Valerie Hitchen 4221 and where I choose. Such legislation would enable me to end my life with dignity should I be in a situation that required it. Yes I watched my darling dad die from incurable Pancreatic Cancer. It was a horrible death. I still have nightmares watching E344 Alexina Ellis 4223 him die. Yes

I have a father in an aged care home with dementia, when he was of sound mind he has always expressed that he never wanted to go into aged care as this is where people go to die, he said he would much rather be dead than spend his days sitting in a chair not knowing what was going on around him. He made me promise him we would never let that happen. He is 86 years old and has lived a very full life and I know that if given a choice he would much rather end his life than live in his own prison like he is know. I know voluntary assisted dying is usually only for thos diagnosed with a terminal illness, however i believe that if it can be proven that a person would prefer to die than live a certain way and it can be proven E345 Marisa Morris 4224 this was their wish then that wish should be honoured. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying I would like to think people with a limited me le and in horrific pain could have an opon. My mum had cancer which also went into her bones. She was in sound mind and new once liquid morphine commenced what it meant. As the weeks went on it was terribly hard for her and the family. I think it would have been kinder all round for her life to have ended 4 weeks earlier. I think we are kinder to our pets than humans when the end is approaching. We don’t let our beautiful pets suffer so why do we put people through this awful time. My mum was loosing her dignity. I certainly would like to have mine do not E346 Lynette Moore 4224 want to put my family through that if my me is up. Yes E347 Erika Shaw 4223 I think we should have the choice. It’s humain Yes

I believe that we all have a moral obligation and responsibility before God, and before one another, to do what we can to maintain and promote good health for people of all ages. Every effort should be made to provide physical and mental/spiritual comfort to those who are going through times of discomfort or poor health. We do not, however, have any right to determine the time of death for any individual outside the context of just penalties for crimes committed by that individual. God forbids murder (Exodus 20:13). Abortion, Suicide, and Voluntary Assisted Dying are all forms of murder. To imagine or suggest that assisting someone to commit suicide when they are in a state of chronic pain/discomfort is an act of mercy to them, is a gross delusion. If anyone would seek to end their own life, they are actively rejecting the Sovereignty of God, and as such, are clearly (according to the Word of God - the Bible) on their way to hell. To assist someone in ending their own life, is to help them go from chronic pain to eternal torment - not an act of mercy at all; and makes all involved in VAD (as well as any who would legislate to promote it) guilty of murder. What people seeking VAD need is to be encouraged to seek eternal life in Christ through the gospel, as well as all the physical E348 Andrew Marshall 4701 relief we are able to offer. No Over the last two decades I have seen far too many elderly people in Aged Care facilities not being adequately cared for. From diet to physical and social attention there is much room for improvement. I believe medication is over prescribed for all the wrong reasons and there should be an inquiry into why the elderly, alert and functioning at home become E349 Lorraine Cook 4228 zombies within weeks on entering care. Yes E350 Confidential E351 Confidential What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

When the WA Parliament established a Joint Select Committee on End of Life Choices in 2017, it was charged with the responsibility of conducting an “Inquiry into the need for laws in Western Australia to allow citizens to make informed decisions regarding their own end of life choices”. The inquiry had had just four direcves. One of which was to “review the current framework of legislation, proposed legislation and other relevant reports and materials in… overseas jurisdictions”. Interestingly, the resultant report never once mentions what is arguably the worst euthanasia jurisdiction in the world: Colombia. This little-known country’s slippery slope has been simultaneously more rapid and more steep than any other. In 1997, Colombia’s Constuonal Court ruled that euthanasia was not a crime in certain circumstances. In 2015, following a direction from the Court, the Colombian Ministry of Health and Social Protection published guidelines regulang the pracce of euthanasia. In 2017 the Court ordered the Department of Health and Social Protecon to issue regulaons which would "guarantee the right to death worthy of children and adolescents". Four months later, the Department obliged, allowing euthanasia for children over 6 years of age. For children 7-12 years old, parental consent is required in addition to the child’s request. Adolescents 12-14 years old may obtain euthanasia with the consent of their parents. Teenagers aged 14 or older may consent for themselves without any parental agreement. In Colombia, if a child meets the health-related requirements, their life can quite literally be in their own hands. No other country that has legalized euthanasia and/or assisted suicide has sunk so low so fast. How thorough can the inquiry have been if it neglected to mention such a notable case? Was the omission of the worst jurisdiction in the world intentional or an oversight? If yes, then can it be inferred that the report was intentionally skewed? If no, what else might have been unintenonally le out? It’s no secret that death is cheaper than palliave care. It’s also no secret that WA has the lowest number of publicly-funded palliave care beds per capita in the country. Yet instead of establishing a commiee to do an inquiry into how to best to fix this deficit, the Committee on End of Life Choices spent 12 months holding 82 hearings and reviewing 685 submissions… To arrive, arguably, where it had intended to arrive all along: at a recommendation for voluntary assisted dying. On the strength of 35% of submissions (240 of 685) supporng it. Coincidence? You be the E352 Margaret Menzel 4807 judge. No E353 Confidential E354 Confidential Not much to say, but each person has a right to choose to die other than stay alive with drugs and no quality of life, its cruel, i lost my dad last year, but he lived 3 years longer than he wanted to and was a very unwell man, it tortured him E355 Julia Mahon 4223 and us siblings to see him suffer like just existing but no living Yes

The view of myself and my wife is strongly in favour of voluntary assisted dying. The recent State Legislaon passed in the State of Victoria also overseas legislation and experience (eg in Europe) should be of considerable help in framing checks and balances in any Queensland Legislaon. It appears anomalous that our laws in Queensland presently allow a choice in respect of the abortion of a child but no choice for a seriously ill person who voluntarily wishes to end their life. E356 Keith and Kerry Farrow 4565 We thank you for your iniave in mounng an inquiry into voluntary assisted dying at this me Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I strongly support the passing of a law that allows for voluntary assisted dying. Obviously such a law will need to include safeguards to ensure that a person understands what they are doing and is appropriately assessed by independent medical praconers before the final step is taken. However, any person who has a terminal illness including demena and Is suffering severe pain from their illness should have the option to take this action. There should be an option for a person to set out the conditions under which they want to go down the path of assisted dying in their Health Directive, so that if their condition later deteriorates (ie through dementia/Alzheimers) they can commence down the pathway of voluntary assisted dying, without any direct input, which obviously their condition would prevent. People, including medical praconers, who have been involved with the process should be protected from any legal acon. The other action which I believe should be covered in any legislation is the streamlining of palliative care for people who are suffering ongoing pain from their illness. I have been involved with relatives who have a terminal illness but were only given minor pain relief. This minimalist approach was partly driven by existing guidelines which tend to overly limit the level of pain killers which can be used, and require the person to actively ask (ie verbally) for it. Sometimes the person suffering in pain is not able to adequately express the level of pain they are suffering because of their condition. Guidelines need to recognise this, and give the caregiver the option of observing a person’s symptoms and use that as the E357 William Tranberg 4074 trigger for providing pain relief. Yes

I strongly support the passing of a law that allows for voluntary assisted dying. Obviously such a law will need to include safeguards to ensure that a person understands what they are doing and is appropriately assessed by independent medical praconers before the final step is taken. However, any person who has a terminal illness including demena and Is suffering severe pain from their illness should have the option to take this action. There should be an option for a person to set out the conditions under which they want to go down the path of assisted dying in their Health Directive, so that if their condition later deteriorates (ie through dementia/Alzheimers) they can commence down the pathway of voluntary assisted dying, without any direct input, which obviously their condition would prevent. People, including medical praconers, who have been involved with the process should be protected from any legal acon. The other action which I believe should be covered in any legislation is the streamlining of palliative care for people who are suffering ongoing pain from their illness. I have been involved with relatives who have a terminal illness but were only given minor pain relief. This minimalist approach was partly driven by existing guidelines which tend to overly limit the level of pain killers which can be used, and require the person to actively ask (ie verbally) for it. Sometimes the person suffering in pain is not able to adequately express the level of pain they are suffering because of their condition. Guidelines need to recognise this, and give the caregiver the option of observing a person’s symptoms and use that as the E358 Susanne Tranberg 4074 trigger for providing pain relief. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

When society loses respect for life at any stage, it loses respect for life at every stage and age. Life becomes easily disposable and justification becomes a cursory decision of power brokers within society. History has proven again and again that decisions to provide 'an opportunity to die' for those in difficulty or distress, rather than compassion and assistance to recover and/or revive, quickly becomes a mandate to choose death when others consider you a burden on their time or finances. When the only consideration is a socialist agenda for the state to choose, based on monetary considerations, then, so too it follows that society judges that what is legal becomes what is right and precedents are set on a lower and lower bar. If financial considerations are the deciding factor by the state, then it quickly becomes a MANDATE that the state chooses when a patient should live or die. In many cases, in public hospitals in this state, families are already guided towards that decision while already disoriented and distressed by a vulnerable family member's illness. When pressure can be applied by those in direct control of a vulnerable individual, by medical staff, by families who may see benefit in gaining financial advantage, by unscrupulous individuals, then vulnerable individuals will be affected and preyed upon. The essential element required for persons of any age or stage of life is that they have access to effective and compassionate palliative care, when required. That they have access to effective support and care, include mental health care where needed, during their life and that vulnerable or distressed individuals are not left to 'fall through the cracks in society' but have access to support networks through a responsive and efficient health system. Hippocratic Oath - "I will give no deadly medicine if asked. I will not give a woman a pessary to cause an abortion".

The Queensland ALP government has already written into law, the ability to kill an unborn child up to the day of natural delivery, a direct violation of that oath and all that it brought to civilized society. To further add the killing, by whatever means, of other vulnerable individuals, is no less abhorrent and evil. The proponents of euthanasia often like to confuse the imminently dying patient asking for pain relief with the act of euthanasia, they are very differing scenarios. When medication or other is administered with the express purpose of ending a life, that is killing. To administer pain relief to someone in need of that relief, despite the knowledge it could possibly hasten their death, is to provide relief of pain, not to take a life. There is a very significant difference. "Thou Shalt Not Kill" The modern day genocide of the unborn ignores the biological reality that every human life is human from the moment of conception until the moment of death, so too does the act of euthanasia. Being vulnerable or unborn, being disabled or elderly, being chronically ill or losing limbs to accidents, none removes our humanity or our value as human beings. Neither should it allow the state or another to consider that the best that society can provide for us is to offer to kill our children or to kill us, when life becomes difficult or distressed. History will judge this generaon harshly indeed as we see the scienfic evidence of human life and we are E359 Margaret Menzel 4807 becoming more and more callous about protecting other's right to live it well. No What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

Last year I had to watch my mother starve herself to death in a nursing home, it was a horrific sight. She ended up just skin and bones, she looked like a mummy with no flesh le on her bones. She had broken her hip the previous year, and after 2 unsuccessful operations she was left bed ridden. She had a very unstable hip, was unable to stand, walk, sit or move. She came home for a few months, but needed both my husband and I to lift her to put her on the commode, shower her or dress her,. All she could do all day was sit in a recliner chair and watch TV, in the end she didn’t even know where she was or what she was watching on the TV. She ended up developing serious bed sores and had to be hospitalised, when released she was then admitted to the nursing home as we were unable to be home 24/7 with her. She kept asking the doctors to give her a tablet to put her to sleep, but due to the law they were unable to do so. In the end after months of pain she just refused to eat and starved herself to death. I think anyone who disagrees with assisted dying should have to go and see people like my mother, and see the disgusting life that they have to live. Even though she would not have liked people to see her like that, a picture of her in her final days would have made anyone sick. It is a horrible way to have to remember her and I will never be able to forget how she looked in her final days, I have to live E360 Karen Barany 4223 with that sight for the rest of my life, as do my children. Yes E361 Elena Compton 4225 It should be legal. Yes I am writing to give my support and encourage the legalisation of voluntary assisted dying. While we are of sound mind and up to a certain age, perhaps 50 years of age we should be able to sign a declaration wishing for voluntary dying just as E362 Sharon Kee 4503 we do for DNRs. Yes

Please use your commonsense and allow those who are suffering to make their OWN choice about how their life ends. I work in the Community caring for the Aged and I have lost count of the number of beautiful people who are left to suffer and whose families feel so helpless as they can do nothing to ease their loved ones pain and suffering, not allowing them to die with dignity. I have lost friends, young friends, who are le to suffer in dreadful pain/suffering and their dying was definately NOT with dignity.I know of loved ones who are sll not able to get the haunng images out of their minds of the long drawn out suffering they had to witness. Please let us ALL die with dignity when that me comes. E363 Denise Edwards 4811 Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I very strongly believe that to end a life by any means or for any reason, is wrong and unjustifiable. Euthanasia in particular is murder, no doubts or questions about it, it is ending a life and that is wrong and should always remain illegal. Euthanasia when legalised causes all sorts of problems and in some countries where it is legal there have been cases where people have been euthanised for convenience, out of spite and in some cases for an inheritance. As human beings we have no right to make it easy for people to commit this kind of crime and we have an obligation to protect people from this kind of crime. With regards to those who chose to be euthanised they have no right to ask someone to commit murder for them, do you think they care? Do you think they are concerned about the trauma these people go through for the rest of their lives knowing what they have murdered someone? I doubt it, their desires are selfish because they don't want to suffer they don't care who has to suffer for them. One needs to really determine if someone asking to be euthanised is of sound mind? It is tantamount to me asking you to shoot me dead because life is just too much trouble at the moment! There are also huge religious implicaons. I have not heard of a religion other than satanic beliefs that condones killing someone. Even true Islam abhors it despite what the public are led to believe by extremists and their violent actions. I also think it is wrong to try to make euthanasia sound ok by calling it "voluntary assisted dying" it is murder - plain and simple and as such is not a Christian thing to even contemplate conducting. It must also be remembered that according to most Christian beliefs it is the suffering of the sick that brings them closer to God - ask if any saint has ever complained about all the suffering they have been through! I would also like to state that there is no way I would condone any of the taxes I pay being used for euthanasia or abortion. For the sake of our children I ask that any plans to legalise this kind of murder are abandoned permanently. May God have mercy on anyone even trying to E364 Francis Deary 6065 insgate the legalisaon of such a crime. No I am very in favour of assisted dying. I just cannot understand why a life should continue if there is significant pain or no E365 Sandra Pickett 4228 quality of life. Yes

I work as a nurse and most of the time we can relieve people’s pain when they are terminally ill, however not in all cases. I feel that if there was strict guidance around how and when assisted dying could be facilitated for patients who are terminally ill, then I think it would be the humane thing to bring in. It would be good to look at other countries who have E366 Allison Taylor 4224 legalised it and use a system that works well as our framework. Yes

I am a carer of a 96 year old female (my mother). I have seen mum deteriorate with cognitive and physical restrictions due to severe joint deterioraon. SHe has had 2 strokes, which took her speech, her ability to read, together with a major lost of hearing. For mum, Life is miserable, you can see this in her facial expression. There is not medical cure for mum now 96.... and i watch here deteriorate weekly. Medical pills keep mum alive... (this was not my mothers wishes... many mes when she was well she would say... please do not let me be a vegetable (mum watched DAD die as a vegetable)... I believe there is a place and a choice in that should be allowed for a (person) to request Voluntary Assisted Dying, Aged & Palliave Care. I look at life when i was born i chose the me to come into the world... SO... i should be able to decide when my health is declining and nothing can be done to cure me... then Why should i stay with medical aid of pills.... Stop E367 Theresa Morgan 4223 the medicaon and i would pass away... sooner then later... Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

Laws allowing assisted dying are ripe for abuse. For instance, once the lethal prescription is handed to the patient, there is no accountability of what takes place next. A third party (including someone who stands to benefit financially from the patient's death) could administer the drug to the patient without patient consent, even if the patient changed her mind and struggled against the overdose. Laws do not require consent at the time of death, only consent to obtain the lethal prescription - a distinction which can give someone other the patient the power to decide when death occurs. In reality, there is no protected "choice" as proponents claim. Disability rights groups are some of the strongest voices against physician assisted suicide based on the experience of their community. According to disability rights leader, John Kelly, "As people with disabilities, we are already on the front line of a broken, profit-driven health care system which will naturally see a below $100 prescription as a cheaper alternave to experimental [and life extending] drugs." What's to prevent a prescripon from becoming the treatment of choice to offer terminally or chronically ill paents? Doctor prescribed death will always be the cheaper opon. Elder financial abuse is a documented fact, and can serve as a catalyst for other types of elder abuse. Society-approved death puts elders at risk for abuse through include being coerced, pressured or even forced into suicide. Escalang health-care costs, coupled with a growing elderly population, and a culture eager to embrace alternatives to expensive, long-term medical care. The so-called "right to die" may soon become the "duty to die" as our senior, disabled and depressed family members are pressured or coerced into ending their lives. Discussions of legalizing doctor prescribed death seems especially dangerous. In a dollar-driven environment, it's too tempting for death to become a reasonable substitute to E368 Paul Kendrick 2795 treatment and care when medical coverage is uncertain and medical costs continue to rise. No E369 Christine Sykes 4228 It is our life,and we should have a say in how we die,if the need arises. Yes

Quality of life is more important that quantity. If you can reduce the wasted money to support the number of people lying in nursing homes waiting to die who do not want to be there, but are forced to be kept alive due to the current legal system it will allow funds to be available for improved living standards of the people who live in the state. I had a stroke in 1999 and I am still living at home and do not want to be alive as a vegetable or with reduced facilities. If the law was to be changed to allow two medical doctors and two members of the immediate family to make the decision to enable voluntary assisted dying, I would consider that a much better option for me instead of being left in a nursing home to wait unl I die of natural causes. I am one of many who consider that we have an amazing waste of money being spent on aged care and voluntary assisted E370 Ian Fraser 4225 dying with control over your own decision is a step forward for our state and country of Australia. Yes

E371 Robert Anker 4223 A big YES to voluntary assisted dying. Avoidance of suffering is paramount - palliative care cannot do it well enough. Yes

Without Voluntary Assisted Dying in a Simple manner, I will be forced to do it myself while I have the capacity. Legal or not it is my choice. Unfortunately, I would have to exclude and decide loved ones in order to not implicate them. I am not depressed but I have watched family wallow in their own urine and faces while they were starved to death and unable to communicate because of massive drug administration. I was abused badly by God botherers from birth to adulthood and I E372 Name Withheld 4225 won't permit those XXXX to torture me to death for their own hypocrical ideology. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying A person should have the right to decide on assisted dying no matter their age if all avenues towards the relief of pain E373 Lois McCarthy 4221 and suffering have been explored to no avail. Yes

I work within the health care system in Australia. I have to do with palliative care patients in my role as a Physiotherapist. Not only is voluntary assisted dying (VAD) unnecessary (in terms of available pain-relieving medications), it is clearly against the Word of God (the Bible). Thou shalt not murder (Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17). No matter how Legislators try and 'pretty-up' the name, 'so-called' VAD is Suicide - the murder of oneself. According to Scripture, individuals do not have the right to take their own lives, simply because they are not coping with life. Murder without repentance before a just Judge (vis.. God) would usher them into a far worse state (i.e. Hell) than any they could be claiming to suffer in this life. People are deceived if they want to call this merciful. If any Legislator, Physician or Nurse were involved in aiding and abetting a person in self-murder then they should be viewed as accessories to murder. Much the same way that those who assist with most abortions are guilty of being involved with the deliberate, premeditated, murder of a human being. As a health worker, I may well refuse to work with those that would be involved with such wickedness, in that they will be breaking their vows to 'preserve life' as a medical practitioner, and in being an accessory E374 Stephen Barton 4702 to murder. No

It Must be a Choice by the ill/dying person and their family to end their life. To be a vegetable is NO life and NO way to wait to die. Dying with dignity is essential to quality of life. We can now have a Do Not Resuscitate document known by E375 Thelna Marshall 4221 Family and Doctor WHY can't we have the same for quality of life in dying. Please make this Law it is needed NOW. Yes I want to register my support for an exploration into the successful implementation of voluntary assisted dying policy. As a self-determining mature adult, I reject the notion that "others" are able to make critical decisions that will affect my mental health, my quality of life and my vision for myself. At present, "they" are able to do this by preventing my voluntary assisted dying by not making suitable effective means available and prosecuting those who may have assisted E376 Linda Carmody 4225 me and who I love and leave behind. Yes

In relation to end of life, palliative care and voluntary assisted dying, I strongly believe that humans should be afforded at least the same rights, dignity and kindness we afford to animals who are sick and dying. The past 10 years I have been involved in caring for 6 elderly relatives who have each ultimately become ill, experienced pain & discomfort, been stressed and subjected to a range of intrusive procedures and actions due to being admitted to hospital, and eventually died. It has seemed to me that these wonderful people and their families would all have preferred that their dying days could have involved less intrusion, stress, pain and indignity and I believe any of them would have chosen to voluntarily end their life a few days or weeks or months earlier and without pain or stress. Last year our elderly pet dog experienced some health downturns, some of which were able to be temporarily managed with medications, but once we saw that further decline commence in him and we knew his quality of life was going to start declining in the coming days, weeks or maybe months, we were able to afford him the kindness of choosing to end his life while he still felt joy rather than pain, and in a calm and relaxed manner rather than a fraught and stressful situation. I only wish my human family could have been afforded the same dignity and kindness that we offer our animals. We would never be so uncaring about an E377 Samara Badgery 4053 animal's suffering as we are about human suffering. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying I have watched my cousin die an excruciang death to breast cancer. I have watched my mother take over a week to die aer a massive stroke. E378 Judith Hay 4223 Neither deserved to endure the pain they endured. Yes

I strongly disagree with voluntary assisted dying, primarily because God has forbidden us from committing murder, and suicide is simply self-murder. Moreover, assisted suicide requires other people to be accessories in a murder. Separately from this as a moral issue, I believe that VAD will promote the tragedy of suicide generally and across all age and health ranges - after all, if Grandad was in pain and was allowed to take his own life, why shouldn't 15-year-old Sophie, who feels her social life to be unbearable? After all, Grandad looked so peaceful! VAD will also lead to a lowering of our beliefs in the value of human life. It will compromise our medical staff (who presumably entered the profession to save lives, not take them), and will encourage a callousness to death in the people we expect to be most invested in saving our lives. Finally, I believe VAD will, eventually, lead our society in the direction (if not to the extent) of the Nazi regime of last century. Every human being has something to offer to those around them, palliative care can work wonders in today's society, and it is God alone who has the right to decide when a human life ends. We should seek to alleviate the pain of the chronically ill, help them to believe in their own intrinsic value to those around them, and we should not assist them E379 Cara Marshall 4701 in "taking themselves out of the way." No

Regarding the inquiry into aged care, end of life and palliative care I appreciate the call for an inquiry, as these are vulnerable people that deserve to be treated well as they age. Certainly there are some aged care providers that are better at meeting their needs than others, and I have observed a little of the differences when visiting people in aged care facilities. Of particular concern is the quality of palliative care and end-of-life care available - while I am not a medical practitioner, another who is has shared with me the need for professional updating and how this directly impacts patient's quality of life. When there is a lack of competency there is the risk of patients suffering unnecessarily and this may lead to the conclusion that voluntary assisted dying is the answer. The clinical nurse in palliative care I have been sharing with believes that good quality care means pain is able to be managed. I strongly disagree with the proposal to introduce voluntary assisted dying, primarily on the potential of vulnerable persons cutting short their life span as they may be convinced by others it is the only way for them, that they are a burden, that they are unwanted, and other potentially harmful thinking. I especially oppose the access of minors to voluntary assisted dying - there are enough suicides of young persons without more access to it. I morally oppose the proposal for voluntary assisted dying - all life is E380 Monique Singh 4151 valuable. No

People have the right to die with dignity. This means that they should have the legal right to determine when they want to die, especially in the case of a terminal illness. It's a two-edged sword when family has to endure watching a loved one die because a government ignores the individual's right to determine when THEY want to die. To add insult to injury, under current law(s) anyone who assists another to die peacefully with dignity and with family and friends present, is liable to serious prosecution. The individual is forced to endure a very lonely end of life. As is often quoted - "we are kinder to animals than we are to human beings". Legislang voluntary assisted dying does not mean all the "do-gooders E381 Judith Panton 4223 and naysayers" have to elect this choice. It's a legal option open to all who wish to avail themselves of this choice. Yes E382 Cheryl Munro 4223 my life my choice Yes E383 THE COMMITTEE HAS NOT ACCEPTED THIS SUBMISSION What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

In July 2018, my father died an agonising death from Leukaemia. We as a society are not prepared for the realities of death. Neither my father nor any in our family were prepared for what he was forced to go through. He wanted a dignified ending to his otherwise dignified life. He did not have that choice. Those of us left behind are scared for the rest of our lives. We do not let our animals die with such suffering, yet we deny our parents, children, friends, and family members that choice. With correct regulation, this has shown to be possible in many countries. It is long overdue for it to be made possible here in Queensland and Australia in general. Current legislaon is not humane. I suffer from a rare, debilitating and extremely painful inflammatory auto-immune condition. For the past ten years, regular hospital visits, copious amounts of medications and pain relief, and immune suppression, allow me to live a quiet and very modest life. I am at high risk of liver and kidney failure and it is expected that at some point, my current treatment will cease or wane in efficacy. This will leave me bed bound, in need of full time care, and in such pain that I would suffer considerable cognitive impairment to manage it. Any quality of life would be gone, and I would exist in this state until the end of my days. Being only 50 years old, this thought horrifies and terrifies me. It is not a life I want to life. I would like to have the option to say when enough is enough and can not understand how another can dictate when life is or is not tolerable. I want to be able to choose, without worry for consequences for family or friends. Current legislation forces people to act outside the law, and without the security of proper medical supervision to end their lives with thoughulness. You have E384 Andreana Engler 4551 the ability to help so many. Please don't let us down. Yes E385 THE COMMITTEE HAS NOT ACCEPTED THIS SUBMISSION E386 Dorn Clarke 4670 I think everyone has the right to dying with dignity Yes E387 THE COMMITTEE HAS NOT ACCEPTED THIS SUBMISSION

I would like you as a committee to set a bill inplace to allow us the right to terminate our lives, if we wish when we don't have quality of life. I Lost both my Mother and Father in a way I would not like to suffer and hated watching them die of a slow painfull death. Both of them wanted to end there lives to stop there pain and suffering suffering and die with DIGNITY.My Father had Lung canser and was not diagnosed unll it was to late to have any Chemo. He was given 6 Mths to live, It took 4 Mths for the cancer to kill him, My Mother and Sisters were his carers untill they could not help him any more, We saw him waist away to being just a skeleton. His suffering was so bad that he said to me one day " THAT IF A MAN COULD GET A SHOT GUN HE WOULD BLOW HIS BLOODY BRAINS OUT." So he wanted to end his pain. It Broke My heart to him him say that but it made we realise how he was suffering mentally as well as physically. My Mother suffered from strokes that over time damaged her Kidneys. Because of other medical problems there was not a lot that could be done for her. Over 12 Mths she slowly deteriated to skin and bones, her suffering was hard for her to handle and she wished that she could end it all. Hearing this broke our hearts but we wanted to just end her suffering and give her some DIGITY IN DYING. Words can not portray the extent of suffering that these loved ones go through. But they should HAVE E388 Lorelei Murdoch 4670 THE CHOICE to continue fighting through the pain or to have the CHOICE of ending it if it is what they want. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

My Nana is 82, she always told us she never wanted to have to rely on care on a 24/7 basis and she'd rather just go when she is right and ready. It didn't turn out that for for her. 2 years ago, Nana started to feel rather ill, had a loss of interest in everyday life and couldn't put her finger on exactly what was wrong. Her doctor kept prescribing this and that, even just suggesting she was suffering from depression. Until boxing day 2017 when she was admitted to hospital after waking and not been able to move from her bed. She spent many weeks Prince Charles recovering and been taken off certain meds and put on others. No real answer was given. What follows is 18 months of Nana in and out of hospital almost weekly, dizzy spells, falls, just generally feeling ill. Not only did this make Nana feel hopeless but it put a strain on the hospitals and ambulance services. Nana had always been independent living alone over 30 years and doing all her household chores for herself. Not having a general idea of what was wrong she had to rely on others, Blue Care, Bernie Brae and Meals On Wheels, something she never thought she'd ever have to do. Early 2018 Nana had a fall which resulted in a fractured shoulder blade, she was in Prince Charles again for weeks, sent to Brighton Health Campus for rehab in which time it was decided she wouldn't be able to return home and would have to be put in care. In August 2018 she was diagnosed with a devastating disease called Progressive SupraNuclear Palsy, a disease that robs it's victims of everything. It's a very unknown, uncommon disease that she would of been suffering from for many years that explained all her earlier symptoms.

In that 6 months she was in Brighton she lost her ability to walk, stand, she became incontinent relying on a catheter 24/7, she could no longer eat solid foods instead having to have pureed, and had to have someone feed her every meal as a symptom of PSP (Progressive SupraNuclear Palsy) is rigidity and the loss of limbs working. Imagine not even been able to scratch your nose if it's itchy... that was my nana. The ultimate diagnosis for PSP is not good, it's a slow, hard death. You lose all ability to move, your vision is affected, your ability to swallow is affected, you get infections that others would easily fight off. Usually death is caused by pneumonia or aspiraon from dysphagia. Today is 16/ 3/2019 and as I write this nana is dying. She's been on morphine for 2 weeks, she's not ate or drank in all that time and is laying in her nursing home bed unconscious waiting to die. She's strong, yes, but she never would of wanted this for herself or for her family. She wanted to die dignified in her home and she should of been offered that chance. The choice of voluntary assisted dying should be offered to those that have little to no quality of life and want to leave this world in a painless way and dignified way with family around. Having watched a terrible illness rob someone I love of everything I feel it's E389 Amy Petersen 4013 important and a serious matter. Yes E390 Valerie Clemens 4551 Aged care needs to have more priority with our aging populaon. Voluntary death needs to be legalised Yes

I think that assisted dying should be legalised in Queensland. I think that people that have legal capacity should be given the option to partake in assisted dying. I think that people over the age of 13 should be able to make this choice. It may be appropriate to offer an option for people over age 18 to have a medical directive stating in which circumstances they E391 Melanie Lakeman 4221 would like assisted dying, if they were to become incapacitated. Yes E392 Gail Brierley 4674 If you have to be assisted to live you should be allowed to die in dignity Yes I agree it should be a no brainer to progress this legislation without any religious interference. Personal choice. End of life quality, be it mental or physical is paramount. Suffering is imposed as things are, it’s a terrible toll on everyone. Ethical E393 Glenice Young 4221 treatment. Yes E394 Confidential What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

People who are suffering excessive pain (eg from cancer), or who have a very poor quality of life due to dementia, MS, MND, etc, and have no hope of a cure, are entitled to a dignified death, instead of lingering on for years in pain and frustraon and demeaning subservience to carers who may not provide the standard of care we would like. Under these circumstances, people should have the right to end their lives, at that time if they are fit to make this decision, or by prior declaraon at a me when they were sound-of-mind. This will also reduce the burden of people in vegetative state clogging up the care facilities, hospitals and nursing homes E395 Rod Mould 4223 while they wait (maybe for years) for an undignified death. Yes

I agree in voluntary assisted dying because of what I see in the Aged care facility that I work in. I work in the dementia community and some of the resident live a life of calm, happy, safe and have a great quality of life. This is how I would like to live if I develop dementia. Sadly there are other residents that live constantly with fear, paranoia, aggression and constant pain from their medical conditions. This is not quality of life in anyone's language. I believe there should be conditions but living wills should be respected if done prior to being unable to choose. I also believe the decision should be made by several parties. Perhaps family doctor and an independent GP , family and self if possible. The main point for E396 Susan Harvey 4223 me is why should people have to live with pain and suffering if nothing more can be done to cure the condition. Yes Please do not consider this course of action because you do not know, once you have started down this way where it will E397 Steve Tidey 2290 lead. No

I completely support allowing people with incurable painful medical conditions to access legal voluntary assisted dying or euthanasia. It should not be other people’s right to deny this dignity and option for suffering people. The impacted individual has the right to choose what they want to do with their life. With regards to designing the process and safeguards, I feel that should be determined by medical experts, with regard to data from other jurisdictions with VAD. E398 Andrew Friend 4101 Rather than philosophical orientated third party interest groups. Yes E399 THE COMMITTEE HAS NOT ACCEPTED THIS SUBMISSION I had two parents pass away from cancer, both of which were extreme painful and long deaths. It was cruel keeping them alive. My partner know has melanoma cancer and is terminally ill. His has no quality of life, he is always sick. We do not have a right as a society to tell people that they have to live in pain before they die anyway. If they want to die they should able to do peacefully and with their family around them, IS IT THIER CHOICE, no-one anyone else. It is cruel that E400 Megan Graham 4221 people have to leave this country to die. Yes

Australia has no issue partaking in foreign wars and sending our soldiers off to assist "end of life" for those deemed today to be our "enemies". Our leaders decide is friend or foe, largely based on 'economic' reasons. For example Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Iran. It seems we have no consience when it comes to killing innocent people from OTHER countries. Yet, when Australians wish for assisted help to end their 'own' life in a compassionate and painless way, they are denied this choice because "every life is precious". Even those in severe pain and when death is inevitable! We must stop the double standards. No, we should not so readily ALWAYS take USA's side and interfere in other countries politics. E401 Heidi Andrews 4567 Yes, euthanasia, assisted dying, should be allowed for those who wish for a dignified death. Yes E402 Darryl Gibbs 4223 I need the right to be able to decide when it's time for me to die. Yes E403 Megan Hickey 4120 Right to die with dignity. I support right to euthanasia Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

To keep somebody alive artificially when they cannot eat or breath without artificial assistance, or are in a coma or mentally incompacitated is ONLY BENEFICIAL TO THE MEDICAL INDUSTRY which profits enormously by keeping that person alive. To be compassionate in the true sense of religion, you would help assist somebody to die in a dignified manner without pain and discomfort. We show these feelings of compassion towards our pets and yet we have to repress these same feelings when we see our loved ones in great pain and discomfort. Science is now so advanced that we can use it in good ways to prolong our lives (think artificial organ transplants, vaccinations etc). We should just as well be able to harness this technology at the end of our own life to determine when and how we would like to die. If we have the right to "interfere" with GODs natural laws to keep us alive, we should also have the same scienfic argument to allow doctors to help assist us, in a humane way, in ending our lives. The Laws of E404 Paulette Andrews 4567 Nature are such that we will all die eventually and death should not be seen as un-natural. Yes

Slightly edited/corrected submission, to replace that previously submied by me: I am a 56 year old Australian woman who was once a Director of Information Technology and more recently completed 13 years of full-time voluntary work with wild (endangered) elephants in the African country of Zimbabwe. Having always been a vibrant and active woman, I now barely know myself. Last year, aer 3 years of constant and worsening ill-health at a relavely young age, I was finally diagnosed with an extremely rare autoimmune disease; one that affects only 100s in the world. Treatments are limited, knowledge of the disease even more so, and there is no cure. It has left me constantly unwell with restricted mobility, chronic pain and awful fatigue. It has caused rapid progression of osteoporosis, osteoarthritis (including of the spine) and rheumatoid arthris, among several other debilitang condions. My decision is not an emoonal one. I cannot remember the last time I felt well. I cannot remember the last time I felt no pain. I cannot remember the last time I could walk properly.... And I know what I will do, when the me is right for me. Assisted dying for only 'terminal illness' will not help me and others like me. Those afflicted with unbearable pain and suffering from an incurable illness also deserve the right to choose to die, with dignity. You can allow me to do that here in my home State of Queensland - or you can force me overseas (or worse) at the most significant time of my life. Please, I beg you, do the right thing by people like me - and not just by those suffering from a terminal illness. When the time is right for me, I wish to go gently, into the night. You have the power to grant me, and so many others in E405 Sharon Pincott 4558 a similar situation, their final wish. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I submit that Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) should be legalised. I believe it is the right of every person to determine the direction of his or her own life, and by extension, the manner and time of death, if possible. I also believe this should not be just in cases of terminal illness, but also in cases of incurable, progressive, chronic illness such as dementia, cases of brain damage such as a stroke, and extreme frailty with subsequent loss of faculties leading to loss of all quality of life. There is no virtue in suffering, and to force people to have to suffer, to comply with the beliefs of others, is cruel and inhumane. The lie, constantly pedalled to justify the view that “better palliative care will solve the pain problem”, and “pain relief is adequate to control suffering” is just that – an enormous lie! It is well known that pain relief in many cases is NOT adequate (I have witnessed this), and in any case, pain is only one of many factors to consider. There are many factors which contribute to the decision to end one’s life, and they are good rational reasons. There are the loss of control, loss of independence, the indignity and humiliation of not being able to attend to their own bodily functions, of not being able to eat, not being able to drink; the loneliness and frustration that dementia brings, the terrible mental and emotional anguish, the incapacity, and the complete loss of any reason to live. This is not living; it is existing, and very often at the behest of others who are not similarly suffering. Once people lose their independence, their ability to shower, dress and toilet themselves, I believe it is actually an abuse to force them to have to submit to these very private functions being dealt with by a third person, no matter how caring.

Once they have all their choices taken from them, together with frailty, immobility, deafness, sight impairment, swallowing and digestive difficulties, incontinence, and all the other aforementioned indignities, they will very often decide there is no quality of life left, and this decision is very subjective. If people decide at that point that they wish to end their lives, I believe it is a cruel abuse to force them to stay alive and suffer. (Suffering is also subjective.) Imagine, if you will, a 95 year old woman who has led a busy and useful life; who was intelligent, was a voracious reader among other things, who is now deaf, has diplopia (double vision) as a result of a small stroke, is incontinent, is unable to attend to her own bodily needs, and has intermittent dementia. She can no longer read or watch television. She can’t go out in the garden. She is humiliated daily by having to have other people wipe her bottom. She often smells of urine. She can never go out. She is immensely frustrated by her loss of memory. Is there any quality of life there? She certainly thought not!! Giving people the ability to end their lives at a time of their choosing is recognising and having respect for the individual. It is cherishing life and having respect for it. It makes people better able to enjoy what time they have left, and to prepare mentally for what is coming. It is likely the last choice they will make, and it is never made lightly. To be able to make this choice would give many people the peace of mind they crave at the end of their lives, and I have heard this reiterated many times. What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

To NOT allow people to die at a time of their choosing; when they (and they alone) have decided they have had enough, is to take away the very last vesge of dignity remaining to them. To NOT allow VAD is to impose the will of a few on everyone and is therefore selfish in the extreme. No democratic government would not impose a religion, for example, on the whole country! To LEGALISE VAD is to allow those who want it to avail themselves of it, and those who do not need not be affected. The difference, and this is important, is that the current legislaon affects everyone; those who want VAD and those who don’t. If VAD is legalised, it affects ONLY THOSE WHO WANT IT. Why should the beliefs of the minority be selfishly allowed to impose on the majority? There are two other very personal matters, recently legalised in Queensland which bear comparison:- abortion and gay marriage. Many people do not support one or both of those issues, but those non-supporters do not need to be affected. It is the same with VAD. Many people who ARE affected by those issues have now been able to find happiness and peace of mind. On the issue of safeguards against abuse, this is just a red herring. It has not been a problem in countries such as Switzerland and the Netherlands where voluntary assisted suicide has been available for years. It would not be difficult to introduce strong legal safeguards such as have been suggested in many other submissions, so I will not repeat them here. I respect the views of others. If other people wish to have their lives extended, for whatever reason, until all medical expertise is exhausted, then that is their choice and I would not seek to deny it. However, my view should equally be respected! If I choose to die when I no longer have any quality of life, then I should be allowed to have E406 Pamela Wheatley 4055 that choice. Yes I am now 74 years of age. I have seen far to many people, including close relaves, die slowly with lile to no dignity at all. Just wishing they were dead. Currently I have a sister in law (MS) and brother in law (motor neuron), both terminal, wishing to go. I just hope I will get run over by a bus before I loose my dignity and my quality of life. I believe that I should E407 Bryan Dobson 4812 have the right to choose. Yes I support voluntary assisted dying having seen both my parent suffer for quite some time and wishing they could just end it without the continued suffering. I have no children and have no one to care for me as I did for my parents. Both were in aged care facilities and the staffing was appalling and the car level very poor. I do not wish to go through what they did if I E408 John Careless 4223 become very ill. Yes

I do now work in any health care field. I did read the committee paper. I do have experience caring for family members E409 Penelope Jones 4221 with chronic disease. I have seen the care provided through palliative at-home and end-of-life hospital services. Yes My submission is to allow people to choose their end in life to die with dignity , I watched my Father suffer for a significant period of time and it still haunts me many years later, the pain was unimaginable if he had the choice I know E410 Wolfgang Dempsey 4179 Dad would have taken it, I also want that option in my life Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

Below are my reasons why I support the Voluntary Assisted Dying (End-of-Life choices) to be included in the provisions for it being legislated in Queensland. Both my parents have passed my Mum in September 2014 aged 77 and a half years then my Dad in July 2015 a month off 82 years. Although they cannot speak from themselves now. I do know that they both wished to die with dignity and respect. My mum had a Type II Diabetes, high blood pressure (most of her life) Stroke, Dementia and Kidney failure. She refused to have kidney dialysis as she could not see the point in it and didn’t like the fact she was not remembering. We watched her frustrations over several years and her quality of life disappeared slowly. This was hardest on my dad as her carer. If she had the choice back then (Voluntary Assisted Dying) I know from many conversations over the years she often had said she wanted to take a fist full of tablets to end it all. That she would have wanted to end her life with dignity and not see her family particularly her husband of 58 years see her decline as we did. With Dad being diagnosed in April 2015 with Cancer found secondary in his liver, primary was in his Pancreas. Dad did decide to have Palliative Care having Chemo weekly started mid-May. Dad was hospitalised on 29th June and was there till he passed on 22nd July. A week after being in hospital Dad became unsettled and upset with himself as he couldn’t get up to the toilet quick enough. He didn’t want to hassle nursing staff and also the wait time to get assistance also upset him. (He knew nurses were doing the best they could to get to him.) This is when my sisters and I decided to spend 24/7 with him to make him feel more at ease unl he passed. On 15th July Dad made his decision to refuse all treatment including his medicaons except morphine. He said he “wanted to die”, he also said he “had had enough”. So at this point if Dad had the choice of Voluntary Assisted Dying he would have taken it. So he could have passed with more dignity and spare his family watching him slowly deteriorate. The only way now to end his life was refuse treatment and be kept “so call Comfortable”. I know this was distressing for him as we were watching him slowly deteriorate until he finally passed a week later. It made me very angry then and it sll does, that I was allowed to Euthanasia our loving pet cats which don’t have a voice but get to pass with dignity and stop their suffering and prolong any family distress. Yet we have a voice but don’t yet have that choice in Queensland. So I am using my voice now to express the very need to consider Voluntary Assisted Dying (End-of-Life choices) to be included in the provisions for it being legislated in Queensland. For me if I had this choice I would opt to use it if I was diagnosed with terminal illness like Cancer, Melanoma E411 Christina Paxton 4505 also including Demena/Alzheimer’s. Yes

After watching a family member be taken by Mesothelioma, knowing there was no treatment to help them i believe that Voluntary assisted dying should be considered. as if you had a pet that suffered in that manner you would be arrested E412 Jayson Maskell-drew 4740 and charged with cruelty to animals. why would we not consider giving pride to someone who has a terminal sickness. Yes

I am 84 years of age and presently reasonably fit and in good health. My main fear for the future is that , should my health fail and I am no longer able to care for myself I may find my only options are. assisted dying in Switzerland, suicide. or a life of no quality in a nursing home. The latter is the most chilling of these 3 choices to my mind and I'm hoping that at last we could have politicians with the spunk and grit to address the waste of money and resources, the shame and horror we euphemistically call "Aged Care"..... A robust humane Queensland solution is needed paying no E413 Heather Colless 4304 heed to the insipid. inadequate Victorian model. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

Everyone should have the right to choose when they die when faced with an incurable disease that causes them to simple exist rather than have quality of life. If you can’t walk, eat or move on your own and some days can’t speak or see because of dementia what is the point. There is no quality of life and you should be able to make your wishes when you are of sound mind. Dementia is a horrible way to exist and those who know what is coming should be able to choose. My mother has dementia and I don’t want to end up like her. She was active, always helping others and a valued member of the community. Now she just sits and stares into space. Some days she can’t remember how to stand up or what to do with the food that is placed in front of her. She used to come to my netball games then watched me on the tv when she started to go down hill. Now she can’t even re,member what a game of netball is. She would hate that and I don’t want E414 Caroline Stevens 4115 to be like that either. Yes

Our aged people are undervalued in the current Australian culture. Our materialistic culture puts an emphasis on a person's productivity and once a person is unproductive due to age or illness they are viewed as an inconvenience. The NDIS has achieved much in assisting those with physical and mental challenges improve their quality of life and has also helped change the value our society places on them. Yet we devalue our aged and treat them like naughty children instead of the very ones who advanced our society to such a prosperous state. We are starng to see more and more cases of elder abuse. The devaluing of our aged and the fragmentation of the family unit and of close knit communities in our culture has left the aged with no support network. They become isolated and begin to feel unloved and useless. In some cases this myth is perpetrated by their own children who are eager to rid themselves of the inconvenience of an aged parent and/or get their hands on their inheritance before it is swallowed up in medical fees. In my opinion, our focus should be on supporting mental and physical health and on supporting families and communities in looking after their aged and infirm rather than looking for an easy way out by supporting assisted suicide. Our society is going back to pagan values where we just sacrifice to the gods of materialism and convenience our unwanted children and E415 Dani-Lee Kershaw 4650 unproductive adults. No E416 Confidential Yes, the choice to say good bye quickly without pain. Lonely, old and in pain are people who should be given the option to end their lives. If by law; their Doctor needs to approve, so be it. My parents both ended sadly long after they wanted to die. They ended up in top notch medical care facilities and kept alive much longer than they wanted to. It was sad for them, it was sad for me. The time and money spent keeping them alive could have been spent on making younger people lives better - this is what they both said. So let us; let older people who want to die, die by assisting them when they want E417 Greg Miller 4221 to die. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I'm at the age where you are experiencing the end of life of loved ones. I witnessed my father dying for 5 months, blind, gangrene, crippled, and more. The same year my brother in law was pulled back from a quick death to suffer for six months before dying an undignified death. Two years later my mother suffered a stroke. She was considered too old to be given the medication that could have saved her some of the after affects. As it was she was left with no ability to swallow, walk, and her ability to speak was limited. She lay in the bed in a nursing home like a vegetable with very little attention from staff. I had to sit with her every day from November to February watching her starve while the doctor continued to administer antibiotics for repeated pneumonia. Then my son in law got bowel cancer and had a few days to live when diagnosed but painful and horrible treatment dragged it on for 5 months. Now, my sister has recently passed away. She took a week to die a painful, undignified, helpless death while she bled out through the rectum. With proper E418 Joanne Herkes 4216 rules in place surely there is some way to offer the same dignity we offer our animals. Yes

I would like to see choice by the individual who is sound of mind to plan their care program in their own time. In this way they have made their wishes known prior to being unable too. If sound of mind that can be decided by the individual at the crucial me. Modern medicine seems to prolong some lives indefinitely which goes against the belief of many people. I would prefer to see the money spent on prolonging life used to research and improve the lives of the young. Once a quality of life is gone it seems to me inhumane to medically keep that person alive. It is a fact that we are living longer and that is wonderful only if accompanied by a life worth living. It is not a miracle just to survive through medical or E419 Elizabeth Tomkins 4350 pharmaceutical intervention. Let us go with dignity. Yes

I believe that the introduction of legal voluntary assisted dying is something many people, probably a majority, have expected for some me. People are live a lot longer that they did say one hundred years ago. This has meant that many of us have to live with the discomfort, or even agony, that people seldom experienced in years gone by. They died from natural caused long before they suffered. My father died at the age of 54. He served in both world wars and died in 1949. My mother, on the other hand, lived to 96. From her 90th birthday on she lamented that she had passed her "use by" date. She was unable to walk, became completely deaf and her failing eyesight meant she could no longer read. So for may years she never left the house, relying on my brother for her every need. She knew she was a burden on him and would heave welcomed being able to decide when to slip quietly away. She was mentally sharp to the end. Voluntary assisted dying would have been a kindness to my mother and a new life to my brother - who died a few years after she E420 John Gibbs 4221 did. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I am an 80 year old Vietnam veteran. I have had heart stents fitted . Four years ago I was told I have Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrous and was told I had roughly 5 years to live. In August 2017 my wife of 61 years was diagnosed with stage four terminal liver cancer with no treatment possible. Many times over our married life we had discussed forms of voluntary assisted dying and it was our wish that it could be legally possible. Unfortunately for my wife she had to suffer so much before she died. As much as was possible the Palliate care people did all they could to ease her suffering. Within approximately 6 months my wife went from a healthy 65 kg woman to a 30kg very frail woman. At the latter stage of her illness we had moved into our daughters' home where our two daughters could help in looking aer my wife. The strain of watching their mother suffer was extremely hard. This terrible suffering should never be allowed to connue, I do not understand how humans can stand by and watch people die in agony. After 80 years of a great life and at this time while I am able to fully comprehend what VAD is then no one should the E421 Robert Ovens 4125 right to refuse to allow me this final choice. Yes E422 Confidential

I believe that we have a right to die and other personal decisions that we may request. We don't hesitate to put animals down so why should we suffer! We as humans shouldn't suffer so much and be able to dies with dignity. I would also like E423 Tiva Lardner 4224 to have the option to buy some sort of bracelet or necklace so that we are not recusitated. Yes

It is an internationally accepted moral law that one or a multitude of individuals premeditate in the taking of another's life. If we move from this datum point, then we open the door to abuse in this area as happened under Hitler in Germany. By appeasing a few people, the Government will increase administration costs of implementing the new law. The ramifications of this law will be significant. Not only has suicide increased, by endorsing suicide, we are promoting it. The State bactually does not have the authority to determine what is moral. This is the role of moral institutions,, eg theological instuons. The States role is to implement the highest moral code of conduct. Failure to do this is to fail in its E424 John Campbell 4701 function. No

E425 Rosemary Kerr 4225 I think after watching relatives with dementure dying without dignity I should have the ability to end my life as I see fit Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I am against legislation supporting VAD in Qld. I am in favour of expanding options for dying at home or outside hospital including hospice care. I am in favour of improving advanced care planning especially alternatives to traditional advanced healthcare direcves. 1) Economic cost of VAD. My arguments are ethical only from the point of view of ulitarianism (greatest good for greatest number). I don't view VAD in and of itself as morally wrong in all circumstances. My main concern is that VAD is economically poor in terms of value for money considering the cost of implementation and where the funding will be found. All rights cost money and infringe on other governmental spending. The recurrent funding and resources which Victoria has applied in making VAD a reality need to be costed if applied in the Qld context including our rural and remote communities. This includes support for health professionals, a dedicated pharmacy, ongoing training, website, a network of nurse practitioners to support the process across the State etc. This spending competes with other improvements we are trying to make in the EOL space including expanding alternatives to AHDs, hospice options, geriatric and mental health care etc. in a constrained health funding environment. Overseas evidence suggests that VAD services are used by relatively few people (e.g. 40/10000 deaths, Oregon, 2017)*. Applying this last figure to 31 555 Qld deaths in 2017, we need expensive infrastructure to enable 126 Queenslanders a physician-assisted death from a total of 31 555. Note potential costs saved by ACPs (Nguyen, 2017)** or hospice care (Smith, 2013) which in turn can reduce deaths in expensive hospital care.*** We already face problems providing rural and remote Queenslanders with end-of-life services, should we give them better access to VAD than to the alternatives? If VAD money is at the expense of alternative services then I am against VAD legislation. Lastly, greater availability of VAD may lead people to move to Queensland to access that opon, shiing costs to our health system. 2)Impact on exisng statehealth priories. I am concerned VAD will result in a loss of legitimacy for suicide prevention initiatives particularly for older people as there already entrenched misconceptions about quality of life and depression in later life. I am concerned that palliative care services, only recently gaining tracon in Queensland will similarly lose influence. 3)Infrastructure, quality of service and cost of development. Overall I don’t think we have the existing workforce to provide an equitable, thorough and prudent VAD service and there plenty of other workforce issues we’re already trying to resolve including palliative, geriatric E426 David Lie Q 4163 medical and rural/remote. References available on request. No What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

Aged Care system is not meeting current needs due to inappropriate ratios of residents to trained specialised staff. All staff working in aged care need appropriate training, and there needs to be more nurses employed - not one nurse to an enre facility. The cost of aged care prevents choice. If you don't have the money, you cannot not choose where you live, or have longer waing lists. There are no aged care facilies in many rural and remote areas, so in old age people have to leave their home to live with strangers. Home services are too limited to enable people to stay at home longer. Palliave services do not exist in many rural or remote areas. Cultural needs of NESB and ATSI are not able to be considered. In WA I was once a trained palliative volunteer in a remote town. We were trained and supported by the Palliative team from the nearest regional centre, and worked closely with local health staff. NB. we were trained and supported to provide assistance to individuals and family, enabling them to stay at home for as long as possible, and to die at home if this was their wish. VAD should be available to anyone mentally compentent with an incurable condition causing unbearable mental or physical suffering. If < 18 years, Gilleck competency should be used, as for any other health treatment. The safeguard is that the person assisting should not benefit from the death, or be connected to anyone who would benefit from the death. Counselling should not be mandatory but only provided if requested. Mandatory counselling only prolongs the pain. Medical practitioners can have a conscientous objection, but must legally then refer to a service that can assist . Death is not a medica failure, but a natural event. The problem is when dying is unbearably painful (and not all pain can E427 Christine Remington 4888 be medically controlled) or quality of life is gone. No one has the right to prolong suffering. Yes

It is with great concern that this issue on euthanasia needs to be addressed. I would like to explain some of the reasons why I strongly oppose such a step. The Australian Medical Association is against euthanasia under any circumstances. As medical people, surely they should be listened to as should the World Medical Association, which is also in opposition to euthanasia. A total of 101 oncologists from Victoria have stated, "Assisted suicide is in conflict with the basic ethical principles and integrity of medical practice." My understanding is that medical practitioners are in the business of saving and preserving life as per the Hippocratic Oath. In Australia, there are movements and much publicity with regard to preventing suicide. There is often publicised in the media when someone commits suicide, that if anyone is depressed and considering suicide to contact certain organisations to seek help. Euthanasia is therefore counter-productive to combating suicide. What, as so often happens, starts out as something 'simple', expands and in the case of Belgium, children are now being euthanised. Where does is it stop? i wish Australia would learn from what has happened in other countries, be it euthanasia, abortion and many other issues that don't apply to this topic. Euthanasia lobbyists are under the false impression that palliative care patients suffer an extremely painful death. This is not true. I know from personal experience of visiting many palliative care patients and their families, that the patient is extremely well cared for and if any pain exists, this is dealt with. It is the pain that is being 'killed' not the patient. I see these patients being cared for so beautifully and respectfully. Life is precious and is to be valued by others as well as self. Please open your eyes and look at what is happening overseas. People, particularly the elderly, are being euthanised without the consent of the person concerned. Don't say that this would not happen here as that is incredibly naive. Euthanasia actually legalises murder. E428 Anne Smith 4114 These people should be protected and cared for by society not eliminated. No What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

Modern medicine has out witted evolution. Interestingly our bodies are in pretty good shape up until about 45 and 60 is probably the life expectancy. People are living well beyond their years thanks to blood thinners cholesterol tablets pace makers and hip and knee replacements when their joints are worn out from ageing. If there is no quality of life then there's no point in living. We have a serious problem with a world that is top heavy with an aging population and people E429 Tim Matchett 4221 should be given the choice to get off if they're quality of life is no longer there. Yes E430 Confidential I would like to say that we need more help in going into nursing homes as they appear to be very expensive to everyone, and most pensioners cannot afford these homes or in home care. I also think that we should have voluntary assisted dying, surely we can make decisions about our own bodies and the way we'd like to die. Having watched several close family members suffer so much as they were dying, I would not like to be in the same position. I would not wish to put my family through the same sort of suffering that I have faced watching my loved ones suffer so much before and as they E431 Janet Hingston 4670 were dying. Yes

I have witnessed 3 close relatives and several friends with terminal illnesses die long, protracted, painful deaths, despite the best that palliative care could offer. They each lay bed-bound - skeletons of their former selves with intolerable loss of autonomy and dignity - waiting to die. The current law and medical system failed them as they did not wish this for themselves, nor do I for myself. Should I find myself at an intolerable stage of a terminal illness or with advanced dementia – it is my wish that the proposed introduction of a VAD law in QLD would allow me the choice (as indicated through my AHD and with approval of 2 independent doctors) to access Assisted Dying – to allow me to die with dignity E432 Sonya Finnigan 4160 without placing a burden on others. Thank you. Yes

Please allow death with dignity through physician assisted dying. Patients suffering from incurable diseases and unbearable pain must be given the option to terminate their lives in their own state and country. Queenslanders should be granted this opportunity! If we can be kind to our beloved pets and end their lives when they are suffering pain when E433 Renee Malan 4350 there is no change of improvement, shouldn't we be doing the same to our people? Yes

I am a registered nurse and have worked in many wards across a few different hospitals. Of all the wards I have worked in palliative care has been the one that drained me emotionally. We can't manage everyones pain and symptoms, it is inhumane the way some of my patients have died. I couldn't touch one patient because nothing I gave him even put a dent in his pain and I felt useless not being able to do something, anything, to relieve his suffering. So many patients have told me variations of "If I were a dog you could put me down" or "You wouldn't let an animal suffer like this". My 96 year old great grandmother was one of them. We don't treat dementia as a terminal disease but it is. We should allow people to choose how they live or die. I currently work in the community and have a terminal patient who is terrified of dying in pain, thier last months shouldn't be filled with fear of what could happen but rather filled with spending time with friends and family, secue in the knowledge that they will be looked after close to death, or at any time the pain is unmanageable E434 Alison Cooper 4213 if that is thier choice. Yes E435 James Pescott 4223 See next screen. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I am a Year 10 student currently studying legal studies and I would like to speak about the current flaws we have in our community and state, regarding VAD . I believe that VAD should be legalised in Queensland due to the currently effective laws and practices which occur internationally, in places such as states in the United States (Oregon, Washington, etc.) as well as countries such as Belgium and places in Canada. While it is recognised that VAD breaks a rule in the Declaration of Human Rights (The Right to Life), it is undoubtedly hard to see the incurable pain brought upon patients wanting to end their lives. For example, multiple sclerosis is an incurable disease, and creates excruciating chronic pain to the victim. Diseases like these should give reason to why VAD should become a protected feature in Queensland. In order for this to happen though, there should be multiple safeguards in order to detect and diagnose who is eligible for euthanasia. The system needs to be followed similarly to Victoria's, and use the right restrictions in order for the law to work successfully. It would be nice seeing how the Victorian law is put in act and Queensland could possibly go from there. Thank you for E436 Blade Garrick 4215 taking your time to read this. Yes

Please find my heartfelt submission on assisted dying. My story begins with my 84 old mum a mum who played bowls, crocquet, loved reading and living life. She lived in a beautiful aged care apartment with very caring staff. She had lost the love of her life of 54 years 6 years before. People see the elderly as having no history. My mum and dad were involved in community work mum was forever baking cakes for some fundraiser or another. They loved ballroom dancing loving us kids as they did all their community work. One night Mum went to bed and had a massive frontal lobe stroke by the time she was found she had rubbed all the skin off her leg trying to get up. As the oldest and I live a long way away from her when the hospital rang to say it was very bad I said can you just please make her comfortable until I get there which took a day at the most (running a small business) you can;t just walk away. By the time I got there the next day young doctors against family wishes had put her on all sorts of medication. From the moment she had her stroke she could not talk, swallow, move. I was not happy so moved her back to the Aged Care facility in high care where she was living. I challenge anyone who is in favour of pallative aged care to spend a day in a place like this. The aged care people were so lovely and caring but it is what happens to the person involved. Mum swelled up to three times the size on her stroke side leaking fluid 24 hours day. She would be put in a hoist at the approx. time of her bowel movement, she was fed thickened cold coffee (she loved coffee) veges she ate enough to keep a bird alive. This happened early December and she didnt pass until 11th April. I myself was so shocked by the process I had to get anti depressants as all I could see was a shell of my mum who loved and lived life to the fullest and now she had nothing. She was ready to pass but of course pills at all costs. She couldn;t say no or yes She was trapped in that body all the time trying to get out of bed. Myself at 65 do not want that for myself. I want to be able to choose. There will not be enough aged care places when our era gets to our older years and have no life. This is a highly emotive subject but the people that object on moral or religious grounds need to live a day like my mum trapped in a body that didn't work anymore. What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

A week after my mum passed we were having an easter camp when my 33 year old son had a motorbike accident on our property and was choppered to Bundy where we were treated with so much respect because of his brain injury they steered us through the organ donation process. He was a young married dad with a 3 year old and a 1 year old and decisions were made quietly and gently and respecul so I can talk from experience on deciding to end ones life. Why if stroke patients have no hope of recovery (in my mums case) can;t they be made comfortable and nature take its course. My mum lived 6 months of hell away from her family as sadly life has to go on we couldn;t converse by phone or anything like that. I wrote letters and the staff read them to mum. She had no dignity in those 3 months. She missed her wine and her smokes and had to have her favourite drink coffee cold and thickened. I can say no more DISGUSTING. I do hope politicians can come talk to me and other normal people we don;t have an agenda we just want the best for our future lives. Mums stroke and drawn out death was a terrible blow to me and she had no dignity in those three months. The young doctors at the hospital should have taken our wishes into consideration and this wouldn;t have happened but it seems its life at all costs. Our son by the time we got to the hospital had no hope but it was such a different experience which older people should have the choice. Maybe not this era but our era coming up we need to get this in place so we E437 Raewyn Otter 4655 have a choice in not being a burden to anyone at the end of of our lives. Yes

I have had the good fortune and privilege to work in home based end of life care for the last 17 years and recently attended the National Hospice Symposium at the Gold Coast where I heard about the ability to make a submission to your inquiry. Thank you for the opportunity. During this time, I have specifically worked with volunteers in an in home hospice service in a few capacities. My first 6 years was in both paid and voluntary work supporting families and clients who had been given a palliative diagnosis, in their home. Being welcomed into 'complete strangers' homes to provide even small amounts of support or practical assistance changed the lives of not only the families but also ourselves as palliative care volunteers. From the simplest of tasks (driving them to appointments or providing companionship to allow carers some respite) to providing occasional overnight shifts, which allowed the carer to sleep and everything in between, the opportunity for us to be welcomed into homes was and is such a gift. These small contributions can often make the difference between someone being able to support and care for their loved one at home or becoming exhausted and having to default to the being cared for in hospital - which none of them wanted. One area that the impact of a home based service was quite significant, was supporting those who live alone and may not have a large network of family and friends to support them as they deteriorate. This support comprised companionship, transport to hospital appointments, assistance with groceries and even going on relaxing outings. This support allowed people to feel cared for, to come to terms with their palliative diagnosis and remain at home until much later than would have been possible without the volunteer and hospice support. What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

The other main area I have worked in and with palliative care volunteers, is in the area of compiling with the clients (who are palliative), their life stories in either print, video or audio form. This allows the person to reflect on the life and contributions they have made, to see their life as a whole, to come to terms with things that they may have done differently given the chance and at times leave precious memories for their families. One other unintended but obvious benefit is that the person is provided with an opportunity to go back into their life and when they were living out different parts of their life, and forget for a short time that they are now a 'sick person' often unable to partake in things that they enjoy. It also provides an opportunity to share experiences with their families, that may have been forgotten by them and never known by younger members of their families. Providing support for hospice organisaons such as the one I belong to (either through government, community or from individuals), is critical and I am forever grateful to all who have done so. This means as we are able to not only provide direct nursing, psychosocialspiritual and volunteer support, but also assist in community education and promoting conversations in the community about death, dying and loss, which will happen to all of us in our lives at some stage. The more this can be a shared experience, the closer and more connected we will be as a community, and therefore the more willing we will be to share these experiences with others. Support for such hospice organisations also makes sense from an economic perspective, as evidenced in the recent Productivity Commission Report into Care at the End of Life. Thank you for being able to share this small window into my experience E438 Carmel Williams 4051 of supporting people at the end of life, according to their needs. No I believe tha aged care industry needs massive improvement in all areas. There is not enough help or assistance for the elderly and what is available is very hard to access. I also believe assisted dying should be legalised. Keeping someone E439 Symantha Christie 4221 alive where there is no chance of survival or quality of life is cruel. Yes

It is terrible to watch a loved one, with no quality of life left, lingers and is kept alive even though in a vegetative state often for years. This is so distressing to the relatives. Again, people in agonising pain with no hope of recovery are kept alive on massive doses of painkilling drugs. We don’t put our pets through these agonies, so why can’t we have assisted dying to give some dignity to death. Much public money would be then available to help those with a good chance of recovery. E440 Merryl Brown 4054 I totally support the idea of voluntary euthanasia and certainly hope the law changes before my time comes. Yes

I agree with the Qld. proposition, however, I think providing consent & having capacity should be able to be made in the individuals Advance Direcve. As well as self administration, a loving partner should be able to assist or administer. ( I don't believe a doctor should have to administer the lethal dose) There should be a cooling off period for those with acute depression or the known reasons for it. My wife & I are in our mid eighties & living well, so my submission isn't based on an immediate need. We have included in E441 John Geddes 4350 our Advance Direcves instrucon that which could be related to the above. We hope for wise legislaon. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I am strongly opposed to Voluntary Assisted Dying.

Palliave Care provides care and pain relief to allow a paent to pass away with dignity.

E442 Patricia Farquhar 4077 My God makes the decision as to when I die. No

My submission is specifically addressing Voluntary Assisted Dying from a personal point of view. I am a 66 year old male who has been happily married for over 43 years. I have 3 wonderful children aged 37, 35 and 33 who are also happily married and at present have 3 grandchildren. My wife and I have a great relationship with all of our children and their spouses and are in regular contact with them all. We have regular family get togethers and are active in our baby sitting duties as grandparents. I have never actively campaigned for voluntary euthanasia but I am a great believer in it. I have a Christian background having been bought up in the Baptist church and as such have a Christian belief that supports the value of life and the preservation of it. However, although I value life as such, there is a distinct difference between living and existing. A worthwhile quality of life is based on the difference between the two. My thoughts and attitude in this have nothing to do with the impact on society or cost to the community in general. The essence of my thinking is the health, well-being and happiness of the individual and those close to them. The personal suffering of an individual with poor health, be it chronic illness, disease or any condition is compounded by the effect on those close to that person. I do not want my family to suffer unnecessary grief and sadness due to a decline in my health over an extended period of time. I would rather have the choice to end my life in a dignified way than have my family have to suffer and focus on my pain and suffering. The inevitability of life ending will always be there. It should be my choice to leave this earth with self respect and dignity. In light of this my wife and I have completed an Enduring Power of Attorney in relation to our health and I am completing an Advanced Health Directive. I have a debilitating back condition which is worsening with age. I have suffered chronic pain and discomfort in my lower back for in excess of 37 years. I have tried many different types of remedies but the pain and discomfort remain. I now have chronic pain in both my knees and shoulders. As I get older the pain in all these areas is escalating and my mobility decreasing. The mundane things such as getting out of bed, dressing myself, playing with the grandchildren and generally moving about is becoming more difficult with increased pain and discomfort. I rely heavily on regular exercise, anti inflammatories and pain medication to make my quality of life bearable and as enjoyable as it can be. What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I have also witnessed my wife's suffering with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Achilles Tendinopathy. My wife's quality of life has certainly been affected by both of these ailments which appear cannot be remediated successfully. My 90 year old mother and her physical needs for her ailing health is evidence of a diminished quality of life. It has shown that her right to make independent choices are extremely important to the point where her mental health has suffered. Her reduced degree of functionality over an extended period of many years and her heavy reliance on family for care have strengthened her resolve to not be institutionalised. There is a fear that the loving care provided by her family will never be duplicated in an instuon. I am certainly not at a point in my life where I would want to end it. However, with the advancement of age and the deterioraon of my health to the extent that I am exisng not living, I would value the choice to end my life. I realise that there needs to be discussion and process followed regarding the introduction of laws which cover such issues as the medicinal use of cannabis and voluntary assisted dying. The main thrust of my argument is that these are such personal issues and the choice should not be influenced by a 'right to life' mentality. Full consideration should be given to the rights of the individual and personal choice especially when it is the individual who is enduring the pain and suffering. It is an appalling situation when a person does not have the choice to end the suffering. A case in point is Professor David Goodall who was reported in the media to have to travel to Switzerland at the advanced age of 104 to have a voluntary assisted end to his life. Professor Goodall was obviously of sound mind but had to leave his home in Australia to end his suffering. My submission is based on the belief that the right to end my life is a very personal matter. I should have the choice. I have the choice to decide on my medical treatment options during my life so why shouldn't I have the choice to end them. Life is extremely precious but it is not enough to sustain it at any cost and especially against the wishes of an individual. The preservation of life matters only when you can define it as living. Living is not just about being present, it is E443 John Feros 4223 about being able to engage with fulfillment. Yes E444 Confidential

I strongly support VAD. I have no personal experience of this that I can draw on or that has informed my view fortunately. Nevertheless, I have always had a view that adults should have the right to make decisions about their end-of- life circumstances. I have always found it strange that people, including policians, who oppose VAD then have a significant change of heart when it impacts on them personally. It appears that what should be apparent in the first place E445 Greg Smith 4573 takes such an situation to come to a humane and mature policy position. Yes

Having been an. Assistant in nursing for many years ‘ I have heard people many tomes Tim great pain both physical and emotional tell me they wish to die . What I am hearing them say is they feel powerless about treatment options and a lack of assistant in dealing with emotional side of a chronic illness or palatine outcome. I say this as people can still determine there outcome through advanced health directives detailing what do not want to happen. Refusing mefication, refusing food etc which had same outcome as euthanasia. Second it does not ask anyone else to be the one who ultimately tales. A l life. My role is to preserve life not to take it. Thirdly this bill must never be a scapegoat for overpopulation or societies inability to deal with sickness and disability. Every life matters. I believe the solution lies in E446 Jan Lowry 4278 better palatine cate that truely involves both family and patient at all stage is holistic. No E447 Michael Callan 4170 Please do NOT allow any bill legalizing termination of life-period. No What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

Healthcare and comfortcare is adequate enough and will only get better in the future for individuals suffering with pain or E448 Daniel Gray 4505 ailments. There is not enough moral justification to allow voluntary assisted dying in this time and age. No

I am VERY strongly in favour of legalising voluntary assisted dying. Having watched my father die a prolonged awful death from cancer, I know that the platitudes about palliative care are a fallacy. My dad's oeseophagus was completely blocked by cancer, so he could not have even a sip of water. We were feeding him through a tube into his stomach, but then a black substance started flowing out of the tube, and over a period of days was eating away the flesh around the tube. Despite frequent injections of morphine, he was in great pain. At the latter stages, my mother and my sister and I sat with him 24 hours a day for seven days, until he finally slipped away. The suffering of my poor father will live forever in my memory, and the terrible strain which we endured from witnessing his suffering had a long-term adverse effect on the three of us, both mentally and physically. Please, please, bring forward this legislaon as soon as possible. Other jurisdictions around the world have shown that with sensible safeguards, legalisation can work very effectively, and save E449 Michael Fitton 4560 thousands of people from unnecessary suffering. Yes

I have always agreed with end-of-life choice. Many advanced countries including Switzerland have the foresight and E450 Ross Griffiths 4160 courage to legislate this opon for their cizens. Please ignore the religious pressure and advance the ethical one. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I am against the Euthanasia Bill for the following reasons: 1. Current issues amongst the elderly/seriously ill (inadequate pain management, lack of available medical choices, unable to die at home/in the way they wish) will only be exacerbated by Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD). 2. With recent issues/scandals against the elderly, how can I be sure that such a vulnerable group will not be vulnerable to abuse of VAD? 3. In other countries, when given alternate and further care, many paents cease to request VAD. 4. Evidence from other countries shows that adequate safeguards are impossible, with children, mentally ill and other physically healthy people being granted euthanasia 5. Euthanasia is an Irreversible decision: is full consent possible? How can I be sure that anyone choosing VAD is fully informed? 6. The Australian Medical Associaon is against euthanasia 7. Major medical groups against euthanasia include 101 Oncologists (cancer specialists) who spoke out against the Victorian Euthanasia Bill 8. VAD changes nature of medicine to force doctors to become agents killing instead of curing: they will be directly taking life instead of saving and honouring it. 9. Conscienous objecon issues: if VAD becomes mainstream how will this impact the careers of medical professionals who believe that VAD is in contrast to their ethos to ‘do no harm’? 10. Since VAD is potenally much cheaper than other end of life care, what will this mean when medical costs have to be budgeted for by various bodies?

I hope that you consider these points and the impact euthanasia will have on not only those people euthanized but the E451 Benjamin Baade 4505 people who made that decision. No E452 Confidential

I am so against this euthanasia bill being passed as I believe it actually takes away the dignity of people. I have lost both parents and they both left this planet totally loved and free from pain as they were lovingly cared for by the nursing staff at both the hospital and nursing home. I believe in life, and the sancty of life. I believe its something very precious and I know the push is for people who are suffering from a supposedly incurable disease, but once that bill is passed it will then become available for people in depression who want to end their life, when all people need is hope. Instead of wanting to kill people we should be looking at better ways of helping them. I believe the euthanasia bill is a liberty for murder. How far do we go?? E453 Dawn Peel 4580 Please really think hard on this subject and choose life for people not death. No What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I fully support the Queensland parliament legislating for Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD). Principles I see as important include:

- Adequate palliave care must be available to all Queenslanders in need of it, regardless of their locaon - VAD should be available to anyone over 12 years who experiences unbearable suffering, whether or not their condition is terminal - Those seeking VAD must be judged mentally competent by at least one GP and one psychologist; these judgements must be subject to review by a commiee of health professionals if the person in queson disputes those judgements - Those seeking VAD must be required to formally assert their desire to end their life on at least 3 separate occasions separated by me periods no less than one month - Those seeking VAD must attend a counselling session by an appropriately trained psychologist who will seek to explore and clarify opons rather than influence the person's decision E454 Gregory Spearritt Yes

An inquiry into 'voluntary assisted dying' is divisive step towards Euthanasia. Such steps will corrode our culture, values and the ethical framework of our health care institutions. Such a step effectively takes a society towards legalising actions which have always been unacceptable, and must be maintained as such to protect the vulnerable. The permission to apply such an act (otherwise called 'treatment') to anyone, including children and teenagers, is an unacceptable move towards treating conditions including depression and an array of others which do not take away the value of the person (the human life) which has value to the individual, families and society as a whole. To move towards a culture (even passively as the reader of this may not actually realise) which develops ideologies that treat vulnerable humans as expendable is a criminal act. For the care of palliative patients to become a matter of 'cost' is entirely immoral. Our E455 Glyn Reinbott 4350 society cannot afford this, let alone our families. No

I strongly disagree with the proposed inquiry. Only God gives life and only He can/may take it away of He decides it is me ones life ends and than the judgement day. This law also applies to any unborn child because life start at concepon. Today we have a huge outcry over 50 people slain in Christchurch, New Zealand, but few say a word about the 7000 plus children who are murdered when aborted. When anyone kills bird or koala bear accidentally he/she is condemned as a "monster". May I suggest you study the Dutch results what happens when people are taken/given the "right" to end life? Finally God warns in his Book of Life what will be the punishment for those who break this law? That includes all inc the E456 Marius Huisman 4164 law givers. May God be gracious to you. Greengs in His name. No Aged care is woeful in some areas. Underfunded and staff overworked. More could be done to support the aged staying E457 Sandra Wardzinski 4740 in their own homes for longer. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

It must by now be apparent to all and sundry that we now live in place and time in a culture of death. A borrowed phrase you might object, but indisputably succinctly perfect in describing the culture in the civilisation in which we now live. It simply amazes me that the connection between terrorism of the " left " or " right ", the endless destruction of valuable human life by abortion and yes, even debating after an infant is born as to whether the child shall live or be killed, endless numbers of suicide especially among our young, and now the finality of the introduction of voluntary assisted suicide legislation to complete the quadrella of life extinguishing tragedies escapes the understanding of the ruling elites. No connection with all this and a madman cutting loose with an automatic weapon and destroying fifty lives! No doubt a label of some sort will be pinned to this event by the political elites rather than face up to the reality that a reverent respect for human life is the first and only cause. "Someone in another Place " is the author of all life and legislators and E458 Bernard O'Shea 4870 persons usurping this right, are leading civilisation down the road of ultimate demise. No

i say no way to voluntary assisted dying. It sounds like a good method to put an aged person out of their "suffering". It is not so straight forward. Who decides who will live and who will die, under what circumstances shall determine that a human being will die. A doctor, politicians or maybe family members. Euthanasia is libel to rank abuse. Just look at the 'Elder Abuse' in our society today. Therefore i say life is precious. To precious to to discard through so called 'end-of-life E459 Dennis Jeffery 4128 and palliative care and voluntary assisted dying'. No E460 Confidential

Only recently experiencing the red tape when having to amitt Mum to an age care facility. I was dumbfounded at the long lead times and the long period of time in getting responses from the various departments as required so the facility could work out what rate she had to pay in the facility. Mum was transferred from a hospital to a palliative care facility, when the committee at the hospital designated she could not return home and need to go to an aged care facility. She was admitted in Jan 18 and unfortunately pass away in Jul 18, however up until her passing we still hadn't received an assessment from Centralink advising what rate she would be on charged therefore the facility charged top casual rate not long term permanent rate (Reduced /Discounted). The other problem we had was the availability of room in various facilities. We were not given a choice for home care or admission to a facility . The interesting matter was her medical treatment because of the nature of her illness (Blood Cancer?) she had to have blood transfusions on a regular basis, this was not able to be conduct at the facility and was initially conducted at the local hospital as the cancer centre / blood bank was not able to assist. A medical decision was made to cease the transfusion as it was considered it wasn't really assisting the day after they ceased the transfusions Mum passed away, aas her system couldn't cope to the illness. The issues of aged while complex need to be streamed lined and stop the buck passing between State & Commonwealth, when someone is admitted to a facility at short notice it is very difficult to get definitive answers and the paperwork process taek way to long before you can answers so decisions can be made. What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

The fact we were not able to resolve the simple decision of what rate to be charged is an example. If there is a need to scrap all current legislation and introduce new workable legislation so be it and ensure that all Organisation and Facility are covered and there is no opportunity for Organisaon of facility to use loop holes. There is to be more emphasis on in home care. There needs to be a long lead me and preparaon for people who need aged care starng with the GP & Families, start the conversaon earlier then just in me care as required. People shouldn't be penalised because they have assets and others don't plus if the only asset someone has is there home they should be forced to sell so they can secure a posion in an aged care facility. The fundamental problem with aged care is, "Cost" & "Availability of Facilies" so most avoid being admitted until it is too late and they are beyond real help for their wellbeing. In my Mum case she wanted to go home and wasn't aloud 6 months later she passed, so a lot of money and energy was expended for a window of 6 months and the outcome would have been the same if she had returned home except less cost. Everyone's circumstances are different however the Legislation needs to be: Firm but Fair and make some flexibility when applying the qualifying criteria. Maybe there could be an opon to prepay for a spot in facility and offer / link it to tax deducons. E461 Gregory Decker 4306 This could Assist the Government's is securing facilities in advance just like self funded retirees Yes

The Creator of Universe is pro Life and gave us human beings the command not to kill each other, but to honour His command and love each other. And Jesus, in the Gospel of John said: The thief does not come except to steal and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have they have it more abundantly. The line is clearly drawn. One one side is God with Goodness and Life, on the other side is the enemy of our soul, the devil, to kill and destroy! Joshua, a leader of the people said to them: Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,?---- as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. From the Word of God, the Bible, it is very clear. God desires E462 Jean-Pierre Raeber 4561 and suffers long, for all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth. No What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

Having worked as a Registered Nurse for over twenty years I have come into contact with a vast number of patients who have expressed their dissatisfaction with the health system and in particular the law that keeps these people alive when they would rather die. Many of these people are of an advanced age and clearly have a poor quality of life. I would like to ask those who are against voluntary assisted dying to consider how humiliating and degrading it is to a persons psyche to be forced to be kept alive and literally made to suffer whilst a complete stranger cares for them. Many of these people simply lie in a bed or sit in a chair day in and day out, year after year,without the ability nor the desire to care for themselves. They are kept alive by someone who attends to every single aspect of personal hygiene including bathing and the most humiliating of all, cleaning up the faeces and urine, when they can no longer control their bowel motions. These people are often unable to feed themselves or take the medications prescribed and rely on assistance to do the most basic of human functions. The total lack of ability to care for ones self often results in numerous other health issues such as pressure sores, wound breakdown and malnutrition to name just a few. In turn these extra health concerns result in more me and money needing to be spent on a human that would rather be dead. There really need to be a law that allows people to make a decision, earlier in life whilst they are fully capable and of sound mind, to choose what they wish to happen to them in regards to voluntary assisted dying. It is not only the aged population that should have this option, but also younger people who for whatever reason, are unable to live a sasfactory life due to physical illness. I am constantly amazed at how we nurses are forced to go to such great lengths in order to keep a person alive when often that individual has specifically asked "is there something you can do to kill me?" "Can you give me some extra morphine or something so that I can die?" "I have lived my life and I do not want to suffer like this anymore". Surely people should be given some rights and not made to suffer at the hands of others who are hell bent on keeping them alive. Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly clear that our population is aging and there simply aren't enough people to care for the aged or the incapacitated and there aren't many nurses who enjoy this type of work either. The massive physical and financial burden this puts on the country is reason enough to consider changing the law in favour of voluntary E463 Julia Williams 4870 assisted dying. Yes

VAD transcends politics, and religion. It is time to let go of old ways of thinking and look towards the future recognising, understanding and empathising with each and every individual human being's choice to do with their body what they will. To choose a dignified end of life, instead of pain, suffering or being forced to endure what the individual feels is a lack of quality of life - this is the ultimate act of compassion. I trust that, as many other states and countries have done before Queensland, safeguards will be thoroughly thought out, and put in place, so that VAD can become the final, LEGAL, loving E464 Noreen McCabe 4034 act any of us may experience. Yes Regarding the Inquiry into aged care, end-of-life and palliative care and voluntary assisted dying, I would like to ask that much more money be put into excellent quality palliative care and for the Queensland government to totally reject any E465 Roger L'Huillier 4510 and all aspects of euthanasia (voluntary assisted dying). No Regarding the Inquiry into aged care, end-of-life and palliative care and voluntary assisted dying, I would like to ask that much more money be put into excellent quality palliative care and for the Queensland government to totally reject any E466 Joan L'Huillier 4510 and all aspects of euthanasia (voluntary assisted dying). No What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying I believe we need to continue to uphold the value of life for our aged population, particularly those in palliative care. In my opinion, Life is not ours to take away and so I disagree with voluntary assisted dying and I am concerned about the E467 Janelle Shrimpton 4873 possibility of this being allowed in our country. No

I feel a person should have the right to choose for VAD given they have a terminal illness and doctors approve there are no further treatments that the patient wishes to use. I think VAD should be legalised in QLD. There are many personal stories to tell but I feel if someone has given it their all, is awaiting death and is in pain or does not wish to burden others, drag out the process or lose their dignity, they should have the choice, if they are of sound mind, to choose VAD. At this E468 Amy Jobson 4225 stage I feel it should apply to all ages, provided there is a carer of sound mind to make that decision over 18. Yes VAD - the ability for people to end their life in a dignified, planned manner. Until you are confronted with the difference between a “good death” and a “bad death”, it is difficult to make an informed decision. I watched my father pass away following an industrial accident aged 52. It was pain free, he was lucid, and it was quick. Then 20 years later, I watched my 46 year old husband writhe in agony railing against invasive cancer, as it’s cells travelled up the spinal column into his brain. He KNEW what was coming and it robbed him of every price of dignity and peace imaginable. His death took 9 days... his children weren’t able to see him, he could barely talk, pain meds only touched the surface and did nothing to stop the convulsions... last month, I took my 20yr old dog to the vet, when he went into kidney failure. I cuddled him until the light left his eyes, his death peaceful, kind, compassionate and dignified. Everyone should die surrounded by their loved ones- exit this world in love and dignity. E469 Elizabeth Wilkie 4362 Now, I am diagnosed with a progressive chronic illness- I hope to be able to call the shots when it is my time. Yes

If the Australian, Medical association is against it and even the medical advisory bodies in the world are against it and 101 Victorian oncologists are against it, they speak from experience!!!! And on top of it it is totally counter productive to E470 Uta Lippmann 4870 combang the Australian suicide problem. If all this is against it- it speaks for itself-a big NO!!!!! No E471 Confidential

1. I practised as a lawyer for 38 years and have seen relatives circling like sharks when an elderly or frail relative is nearing death. 2. Current issues involving the elderly or frail will be exacerbated by Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD). 3. Given recent scandals involving the elderly which will lead to a Royal Commission, we cannot be sure that they will not be vulnerable to abuse of VAD. 4. Experience of other countries is that when given alternave and further care, many paents cease requesng VAD. 5. Evidence from other countries shows that adequate safeguards are impossible. 6 . Euthanasia is an irreversible decision. 7. The AMA is against euthanasia. 8. 101 oncologists spoke out against the Victorian Euthanasia Bill. 9. VAD changes the nature of medicine to force doctors to become agents killing instead of curing. E472 Darryl Greer 4213 10. There are conscientious objection issues. No E473 Confidential

E474 Sue Watson 4655 I am not in favour of voluntary assisted dying. My days are numbered and I don't want to interfere with that due to faith. No What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I have an end of life directive for myself but under current law it's a worthless piece of paper. Yes there are sad stories we all hear about but for myself I believe it is my right to make that decision and my life directive explains in detail my wishes and under what circumstances it should be acted upon. Too many times I've witnessed the slow death of friends and family, not always painful either, and not always was this associated with any parcular age group. Life is precious, but quality of life should always be a considerate part and we should not be held ransom with litigation because Queensland does not have these Laws in place, just because there is a heart beat. Life support is often turned off in cases now in Hospitals, to my knowledge with family approval, seems we have an end-of-life set of circumstances already, it just needs expanding. Any commiee that takes on this decision, through these submission, has a huge responsibility and my suggestion is that the whole states votes on it. Whilst submissions are workable, I'm guessing that most would only be using this opportunity to express personal situations, which no doubt may be devastating to those individual families, E475 Leigh Bartelt 4214 which is very sad, but as this is a submission I vote YES. Yes E476 THE COMMITTEE HAS NOT ACCEPTED THIS SUBMISSION

I am a student in year 10 and I know that euthanasia is currently a big debate and despite the fact that there has been many problems in other countries with this topic because of the law getting too relaxed over time, like Holland and the slippery slope, I strongly believe that euthanasia should be added into the laws of QLD. Being in un-imaginable pain for months on end is a burden that no one should bear, which also puts the families of the patients that are terminally ill in even more heartbreak because they have to see their loved ones in pain with no way of being able to put them to rest peacefully. Euthanasia is also backed up by majority of people with 60% of votes from people in Australia. The current law on euthanasia is already shown as unenforceable because doctors have discretely euthanized patients with their permission as admitted on the 60 minutes show where doctors admitted to euthanizing paents. Overall I believe that euthanasia should be legal but with strong safeguards like only paents that are terminally ill, people that can decide clearly for themselves and have nothing clouding their judgement, a certain age limit, and many more to prevent anything from going wrong. Like Victoria’s law which allows euthanasia but with very E477 Matthew Montoya 4211 strict guidelines. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I am a year ten student studying legal studies in a Queensland state school, in this class we are learning about Queensland euthanasia law as well as other implementations of various euthanasia laws worldwide. I will be writing on the topic of Queensland’s voluntary assisted dying laws, as I strongly believe we are morally obligated to introduce euthanasia laws within our state. With strict safeguards in place I believe Queensland could successfully implement a euthanasia law, with very few risks. Following Victoria’s model for euthanasia law would be advisable, as this model contains numerous safeguards while still being widely accepted within the community. Although those who are against euthanasia insist that its implementation within Queensland will lead to the rise of involuntary euthanasia of troublesome and fragile patients, the enforcement of strict regulated safeguards will lower the risk of this occurring by a significant amount. Victoria’s law concludes that euthanasia can only be accessed by those who have only 6 months to live, or in extreme cases, 12 months to live. If these guidelines were also enforced within Queensland it would allow for those who are in profuse suffering as result of a imminent terminal illness to access euthanasia without the risk of it falling into the wrong hands. There would have to be provisions to ensure that euthanasia is not accessible to those who are not mentally stable enough to make the decision as to whether to end their own lives. If the law was implemented within Queensland, we would need to ensure that those who are mentally ill could not access euthanasia, but rather make sure that these patients have good access to mental health services and psychologists. If we as a state allowed those who are mentally ill to end their lives with euthanasia it would merely glorify suicide and would insist that those who are mentally ill have no other option other than to end their lives; and furthermore, that the government condones such actions. Cases like this have occurred within the Netherlands, where a PTSD patient could access euthanasia as doctors deemed, she was undergoing ‘unbearable suffering’. Although I believe euthanasia law should be implemented, this is something that Queensland law needs to heavily elaborate on. There must be precise guidelines in place as to who are able to access euthanasia; therefore, I heavily suggest following the recently assembled Victorian model. The model is clear, concise and allows the access of euthanasia to those who truly need it.

My view on voluntary assisted dying however is heavily influenced by my mother’s experience within the medical field. My mum works in aged care as a registered nurse, and after many years of working in a multitude of different hospitals and age care centres she insists that no amount of palliative care can alleviate all the suffering that some dying patients undergo. She therefore is an advocate for euthanasia laws within Queensland as she has experienced the suffering patients undergo. She as a medical professional believes that the implementation of euthanasia within Queensland, is a moral obligation we are yet to enforce, I agree with this statement and furthermore insist that euthanasia is the most peaceful way for someone to pass for both the patient and the family. The family gets the peace of knowing that their family member passed in a justified manner, and the patient themselves does not have to undergo the suffering that may be unavoidable in their near future. Thank you for taking the me to read and consider my opinion, I hope that my E478 Name Withheld 4210 insight is useful to further learning the views of Queenslanders regarding euthanasia laws. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

AGED CARE: Please can we have a nurse ratio to resident in facilities - this is not available and the question never answered. Most of us except that Aged Care facilities are a business and a vast growing one with homes popping up all over, but having two family members in two separate facilities over the last five years in two different states I believe I can make the statement that Country homes are more personal and caring places. One family member has severe dementia, and all the set of circumstances that arise from this disease are present and not once in the last 10 visits have I found this person not wet in urine. Addressing this issue with staff, seems to only solve it for short periods, than it converts back and staff whilst caring oen say 'we don't have the staff'. The funny thing is this person has the allotment of 4 incontinent pads issues each morning, which covers the next 24 hours, barrier protection cream I supply and many other personal items, mostly because the home only supplies what I would call basic necessities and I might add they mostly are of the cheap variety. Over $4,000.00 per month out of pocket are the fees, on top of Government support which I believe is another $115 per day, as this person is high care, which is seems many residents are admied under because of the available funding. Reporng documentaon that care facilies supply to the governing body would be interesting to see, as I'm sure there would be discrepancies and again these are not available to families, which in my opinion should be signed off by the families. Severe demena paents should come under the terminal ill category, mostly because they will die from this and the life they live is by no means pleasant, forgetting to eat, not understanding language or being able to communicate in any form, being man handled into dressing, showering etc dying from choking with food in the lungs accompanied by infection, seems to end this process and not pleasant to E479 Leigh Bartelt 4214 witness. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

In my year 10 legal studies class, the current unit we are learning is euthanasia and the discussions within my class has propelled me to express my personal opinion upon the matter. I personally think that euthanasia should be legalized in Queensland. Only providing, that the person requesting euthanasia is following requirements and is within enforceable safeguards, to avoid unreasonable death. I believe that everyone, is their own being and should be allowed to have their own beliefs and morals towards this topic. People should be allowed to decide when they will die if there is no other options that can improved sai persons current lifestyle that is being impacted from serious/terminal illness. For example, if a person suffering from an intolerable and irreversible suffering, has a definite short amount to live, they should be able to make their own, uninfluenced decision to end their suffering faster. This can be observed with eth case of Brittany Maynard who ended her life at age 29. It was reported that she was diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer, she was given the prognosis of six months left to live. Brittany had claimed that if she were to wait her “quality of life, as I knew it, would be gone”. So, her decision was to use the process of euthanasia, so she would be able to die with dignity and save her family from a “nightmare scenario”. However, this does not mean that the idea of euthanasia should be pushed upon someone that disagrees, as it would ebe th equivalent of making everyone in a community have the same mindset and morals, which makes an imbalance within the very concept of law. Which is, law has to be balanced between personal freedom and protection, without that balance the society could fall to anarchy. There should be incorporated features from Belgium (Act on Euthanasia 2002), Luxembourg (euthanasia and assisted suicide 2009), from Washington State (Death with Dignity Act 2009) and even from the recent legalization of euthanasia within Victoria. Features include the patient must be suffering intractable and unbearable pain, the patient must request to die voluntarily and repeatedly, doctors/practitioners, without a conscientious objection, can help the patients end their lives and patients must be residents of the area and at least have only six months left to live.

This all is to address the seriousness towards the issue, making sure the patient is not influenced or suddenly broughto int the decision and is absolutely certain of the request, along with limiting the dilemma of ‘suicide tourism’. If the safeguards are not strictly structured and clear, then the possibility of the misuse of euthanasia for unreasonable situations will begin to occur, this can be seen from the euthanasia laws within Switzerland. Without the safeguards being properly monitored and structured with patients requesting euthanasia, this concept of the slippery slope will start, which is one of the main concerns with the communies that are against the legalizaon. Also, to avoid the misuse of power that practitioners can have frome th permission to kill their patients, there should be multiple people, within a professional field, that would need to separately give acceptance to the patient with their request of euthanasia. Once the results from all areas are corroborated and are in agreeance to the patients request, then it will be considered and the rest of the safeguards will be invesgated, all before the euthanasia process commences. Overall, there will always be varying perspectives towards the subject of euthanasia. However, with strictly structured requirements and safeguards in place, along with assurance to the community, there can be a chance of the legalization on euthanasia being accepted. The argument of the slippery slope will always hold, but there will always be the question of “what if” if this society does not take that risk. It would be better to start euthanasia, observe where it will lead the community and have hope that this will be the help that someone needs. That is why I believe that euthanasia should be legalized in E480 Casey Wilcock 4211 Queensland. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

My submission will be about voluntary assisted dying in Queensland. I am currently a high school student in year 10, I take legal studies as a subject and this term we are currently learning about euthanasia and I would like to give my opinion. I believe that those who have an illness that will eventually kill them should in fact have the option to euthanize themselves. Although some may argue that euthanasia is awful and shouldn’t be legalised, people who are actually going through the tragic and painful stages of death would think otherwise. If we legalised euthanasia it would provide comfort for people who are dying, they would know that they can still be in control even though they’re in the last stages of their life. I know that most people are worried that if we legalise euthanasia now, then our countries law surrounding euthanasia in the future will become more like the Netherlands law regarding euthanasia, it will become open to anyone with or without a terminal illness. However I believe that if our law on euthanasia is consistent and stable, then we should have a stable future surrounding euthanasia. Euthanasia shouldn’t be open to everyone; it should only apply to certain people. For example, one who can access euthanasia must be over the age of 18, they must have a terminal illness, they must have a life expectancy of under 7 months, they must give consent multiple times before they get euthanized and the patient must be clear of any mental illnesses. I believe that if these circumstances are implemented into the law surrounding euthanasia, we would be targeting the right people and we won’t be glorifying suicide, people who have mental illnesses such as depression or dementia who want to be euthanized should not get the option, instead they E481 Sophie Varricchio 4216 should get counselling. Thank you for your me, I hope this helps. Yes

We are greatly concerned with this bill for assisting death for any reason at all. Life is sacred, we do not have the right to take it in any circumstance but rather we need to offer care and support for the sick end dyeing... Also if we start down the path of killing the mentally ill, depressed, retarded or deformed, who gets to decide who is fit to live, who draws the line in the sand? We would very quickly end up like the Nazi regime or the many communists nations Russia and China in particular who have no regard for any life that doesn't tick their particular boxes and who are responsible for the lives of untold millions. Why should these lives be disregarded does not the care for these people build character in others and appreciation of one another and the frailty of life as it is... please be very careful of your decision as it could lead to E482 Alan and Neita Pope 4353 making history in a way you could not be proud of in years to come. No

I am passionate about having the right to die with dignified, especially witnessing both my parents suffering a lingering death. They both wished to die with dignity, but that was taken away from them. I have also witnessed terminally ill friends of all ages who have also wished that they could terminate their lives in a dignified manner. I appreciate this is a very emoonal response to a very deep concern for all involved, but having My concerns, like most others, is that no one person should be able to make the decision and I believe this will be E483 Lynne Griffiths 4160 achieved with this submission. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

wish to register my support in favour of Assisted Dying and Voluntary Euthanasia. My Father Barrington Murphy aged 69 died after a painful and short illness when being diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer, in his lungs, spine, lymph nodes and bones. He passed away traumatically on 29 October 2012 six weeks after his admission to hospital and diagnosis. My father was admitted to the Wesley Hospital via emergency on Friday 24 August 2012 with excruciating backpain, he had previously been to see his GP many times about this, and told after CT scan by his GP that he had osteoporosis in the base of his neck. On this particular Friday, the pain was so severe, I picked both he and my mother up and took them to Emergency. Dad was given pain relief of Morphine , however he could not tolerate this as it gave him severe nausea and vomiting. The following morning he was given a MRI, he was in too much pain on hospital admission to have this done, he was sedated to have the MRI and it was found that he had a large tumour in his back which was causing the pain, he was still in pain, pethidine had the same adverse effect as Morphine. After a PET scan the results were presented to us that he had Stage 4 terminal cancer, which was in most of his body. He was given radiation to try to reduce the tumour in his spine, and hopefully provide some relief, this was not the case. He found it hard to tolerate radiation, he was in pain and sick constantly. He was initially also offered Chemotherapy, after radiation, we were told that this would prolong his life for up to two years. The radiation was too much for my father to handle, so chemotherapy was never discussed again. After being in a general ward for 7 days , Dad was moved to Palliative, the Dr from Palliative care advising him that the general ward could not help him any further with his pain relief, that was getting worse daily.

Dad was hesitant to move to Palliave Care, as he said once you go in there you never come out, and he didn’t. Dad declined very quickly, he lost a lot of weight and was unrecognisable, he even scared himself with the amount of weight that he had lost saying he had never been that small in all of his life. He completely lost his appetite and the nausea and vomiting persisted constantly. Hot and cold sweats. He was given Fentanyl, the highest legal dose and this did not even touch the side of his pain. He was constipated and uncomfortable. Unable to walk or toilet unaided. He wanted to die with dignity, and end all of the suffering. The suffering and pain that my dad suffered, if your family pet went through that, the vet would agree to end their life. We wouldn’t make an animal suffer like he did. This was parcularly hard for my mother and family to watch, and Dad hated us having to see him in this state. On the Friday before he died, he said he could not go on any more. He had had enough. He had to go. He said if there was an injection that he could be given, he would take it, he asked was there are way to go? By Sunday night my father was struggling abhorrently, he was finding it difficult to breathe, his rib cage had collapsed, was in and out of consciousness, crying in pain, and there was no more pain relief that could be given. My father was moved to a large family suite, so that my mother, sister and I could be with him to watch him suffer senselessly and telling him it was OK to go………but he couldn’t. A Fentanyl pump was provided. He was still in extensive pain, all night crying out. The Palliative care team saw him early on the Monday, and prescribed a second Fentanyl pump, he was still in pain after this, unsettled and crying out. This went on all day, until he took his last breath at 5 pm. Who should have to suffer a death like this, a painful, slow, horrible, degrading death, instead of a dignified painless death as requested by my father. I request his case be provided in your inquiry. I hope that this evidence is favourably supported in the end of life and palliative care circumstances, to prevent other patients having to leave this world in a way that they do not wish to. Our fathers suffering still haunts our family, E484 Anne-Maree Pigott 4152 and in this day and age, such a horrible death can be avoided. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying Any form of euthanasia, which this is, is not in the interest of the medical profession. We are supposed to save lives. Palliave care can ensure pain free condions for the terminally ill paents. We are becoming a nation of murderers, abortion on demand, euthanasia for the sick and elderly. What's next; let's get E485 John Kimbel 4551 rid of the handicapped. No

I would like express my concern with voluntary assisted dying and to urge the committee to reject any proposals to make assisted dying legal in Queensland. I work in health care with child and youth at risk or with mental health difficulties. Suicide is one of the leading causes of youth death. These deaths are preventable and many who receive good therapeutic intervention later come through their dark period in their life to go on to meaningful living. Changes to legislation to encourage legal termination of life would leave many many youth vulnerable to believing a permanent solution to their difficulties is the only option they have. Good intervention would actually benefit the young person and and as a result stronger, more resilient communities emerge. Petsonally, I would also like to experience confidence in my physicians and carers when I enter into the older phases in my life. I would like the reassurance that my doctor would not consider me a burden/expense/difficult if I was experiencing an illness or suffering in any way. I would like the security to know that I may die with dignity with good palliative care available to me and that there are genuinely caring people around me who do not wish to dispose of me prematurely. E486 Camille Kunde 4358 Please reject all recommendaons to introduce assisted dying. No What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

Thank you for allowing discussion on such important matters. As a former registered nurse, and the daughter of parents in their nineties, I am strongly opposed to legalising Voluntary Assisted Dying, especially after reading the ‘Characteristics of a potential voluntary assisted dying scheme’. Firstly, ‘a person must want to end their life for a reason they consider to be valid’! This alone is fraught with danger! Who’s to say whether or not a person’s reason is valid? There are no safe guards here! The very definition of what someone thinks is a ‘valid’ reason could be vastly different. Who is to say one person is right and another wrong? Someone going through a distressing period in their life, who has just lost a loved one, could strongly feel they have a valid reason to end their life. If they were allowed to, they may never have the chance to see that maybe further down the track their life could be a happy one. Someone who is told they are terminal would be considered as having a valid reason but new treatments and discoveries are found all the time to treat and manage diseases giving people a better prognosis and a better quality of life. And what about the elderly? Who is going to safeguard them against the ultimate abuse, dying? Nearly every elderly person I know has at some point in their later years felt like a burden on their family, or community. With the option to ‘opt out early’, how can we be sure they weren’t pressured or manipulated into making the decision to die? How can we be sure they won’t adjust given time and support and come to enjoy their later years to the very end? As a society we should be doing all that is humanly possible to protect life, everyone’s life. Especially those most vulnerable. With regard to end of life care, when it is done well, it should prevent the suffering of the person receiving it. If their pain is controlled and they receive the support and counselling they need, they should embrace the opportunity to spend as long as possible in this world with their loved ones, not cut their lives short because of a misguided intention of controlling their own death. This way of thinking is incorrect and detrimental. We have no power in death. Death is final and it will come to us all in the end, why play into its hands. The rationalisation that we can somehow control our own death and destiny is built on lies. Shouldn’t we be aiming for better ways to improve the quality of the life of terminal patients, so they can make the most of the time they have left? Health professionals should be preparing them better for death not encouraging them to end their life early. Life is precious. It should be protected at all cost. If we lose sight of E487 Jacqueline Halpin 4503 this we will suffer as a people. No I want to have the right to Euthanasia, if I can no longer live in dignity. I certainly don't want an other person involved if I become incontinent with body function. I definitely don't want to live in a retirement home if I had Dementia. No point, E488 Marianne Ruddick 4272 and a waste of money. Yes E489 Bernice Welch 4305 I support peoples rights to assisted dying. Yes E490 Janet Matejcek 4877 I don’t want to be le waing to die in a palliave care unit . Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I support voluntary assisted dying laws. We must have empathy for people who are ill and suffering, and I am in support of the types of laws in the US, Canada, Luxembourg and Belgium. I think it is important that: 1. Children under 18 years of age are able to access voluntary assisted dying provided they are Gillick competent (age is no barrier to suffering); 2. Doctors are able (if they choose) to assist with suicide (as some of the people suffering the most are unable to physically commit suicide eg. unable to li their hand to take a pill); 3. If doctors do not wish to assist with suicide, they must report the patient's request to the health service or facility which must then provide the patient (or patient's representative) with a register of doctors who will assist (this may ease the guilt on doctors who do not wish to be part of this scheme, and means that they are not directly referring the patient to another, but also will ensure that the paent has all the informaon they require); and 3. The request for voluntary assisted dying be made freely and repeatedly by someone with capacity to make such a decision, or alternatively be written into an advance health directive. This may require counselling or a review of the paent without family or others in the room, and documentaon of each request and the surrounding circumstances. It is my view that these safeguards are sufficient to protect the interests of vulnerable and ill patients, while still maintaining our empathy and care as a society. I note that a number of submissions refer to Chrisanity as being a reason to reject voluntary assisted dying. I'd like to comment that separation of church and state is a fundamental tenant of our laws. Queensland is a secular state with no state church, and each person in Australia has a choice about whether they believe in a religion or not. I certainly do not want to see the rejection of laws which would assist our community, just because a group of people believe in a religion which they use to justify their lack of empathy and understanding for others. I certainly understand the importance of rules like "thou shalt not kill" to some people, but a rigid interpretation of this leads to suffering. When our pets are suffering, we put them down to put them out of their misery, yet there is no religious outcry about this. We deserve to have the same autonomy and choice when determining the course of our E491 Alexandra Ritchie 4012 medical treatment. Thank you for your consideraon of my submission. Yes E492 Havinah Jokhoo 4017 I do not support the voluntary assisted dying... it is not for us to make that decision. No E493 Confidential What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

Euthanasia laws corrode the culture, values and ethical framework of our health care institutions. In other jurisdictions children and depressed teenagers are now allowed to be euthanised. It gives the eugenic and utilitarian tendencies in some of the population open licence to fully develop a culture that treats vulnerable humans as expendable and disposable. Proper palliative care becomes an ‘expensive optional extra’ that ‘government can’t afford’. The culture creeps into family life, at the very time a sacred moment of a loved one’s passing is imminent the new culture of killing steps in to cloud the judgement of family members. There is an obsession with considering cost of care for individuals based on their perceived 'value' to society - pregnant women in difficulty, pre-term infants, the elderly and those needing effective palliative care, dementia patients, the disabled, mental patients...when an individual's care remains focused primarily on the cost benefits, rather than the quality of the individual's life and the intrinsic value of that life, society has lost its focus and distorted the purpose of both government and medical care. Not government, not medical carers, not family or others individuals who may have the POWER to act, no one should be condoned by government to make a choice to kill another, based on a perception that today a suicidal teenager decides he/she is desperately unhappy; perhaps a son or daughter decides that Mum or Dad's life is not as fulfilling as it once was, agreeing when they are hospitalized and vulnerable, that it is preferable to sedate and withhold fluids and nutrients...to quietly euthanize them, E494 Max Menzel 4807 on doctor's advice. What sort of society are we creating? No E495 Confidential

I am a 27 year old female and I have worked with Palliative Patients. I am not naive to the harsh realities of palliative care. On a personal note, I have watched a close family member die slowly across 5 years with a terminal brain tumour that had no hope of recovery. I am well aware of the impact terminal illnesses has on loved ones. My concern with this Bill is it can be a danger to societies most vulnerable. Everything has the potential for abuse, however Euthanasia is particularly susceptible. Elderly who already have a tendency to feel like a 'burden', may feel pressure (either articulated or implied) to end their life early. Similar abuses can occur with palliave care paents. Besides the abuse, Euthanasia devalues life. It gives human beings the power to choose what life is worth living (and what is not). Once this line has been crossed, it is very difficult to regulate. Who is to say that a physical terminal illness and chronic depression is different? Who is to say a terminal illness and a long term disability is different? I am also a foster carer. I do respite care for a family with a severely disabled and previously 'unwanted' little girl. She has Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and Acquired Brain Injury (from her dad beating her) as well as Epilepsy. When she first came into foster care she had severely impaired sight and hearing and was practically unresponsive to human interaction. Due to her CP, she was also unable to move on her own. She was placed with a lovely foster family. They loved her, gave her daily full body massages, researched the best nutritional interventions as well as her normal specialist appointments. Almost 3 years on and she is a different child. Her paediatrician and specialists cannot believe she is the same child they initially started treating. She is happy, able to hear, beginning to talk and walk ,and is able to pull herself up to sing posion. She lights up a room with her smile. My concern is that if this Bill was passed, it would create a precedent that may evolve to include severely disabled people who have very grim future prospects. This lile girl would have been a prime candidate. It is not an easy decision and no one likes watching someone suffer. However, please do not pass a Bill that will cause Australia's most vulnerable people E496 Teagan McNamara 4114 to be more vulnerable. No What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

Firstly, I would like to say, unless you have experienced the indignity and anguish suffered by a close loved one during their final time, there is no way one can understand the sadness, despair and pressure placed on the person with the illness, nor the family/close friends around that person. Let me ask you a set of quesons. If your wife/husband/child begged you, on multiple occasions to help them end their suffering and pass over in peace with their dignity intact, would you willingly and openly disregard their request? Would you help them if you were legally allowed to? Would you, really, want to let them connue to suffer unl the medicaons /disease process causes their body to shutdown and finally die? I wish to register my strong support for voluntary assisted dying, of course, with safeguards and regulations in place to prevent misuse and abuse. There needs to be an option for people suffering intolerably with little chance of sufficient relief. This includes the young and people who may not be of sound mind/body due to accident, illness or disease. There needs to be choice, legal and accessible choices. This needs to be considered when religion is used as a reason to deny legislation and people the choice to die with dignity. After all, if the legislation and options exist, it is a choice one can chose or not. The common comparison is euthanising an animal to prevent suffering. This is a relevant comparison and E497 Mark Woodman 4815 should be considered carefully. Yes E498 Confidential E499 Gail Jeffery 4128 I would like to say that i ztrongly oppose euthanasia a life should never be ended on mankinds whim. No

I am decidedly against the question of voluntary assisted dying. It is far too open to abuse, and it not wanted by most Australian with whom I have spoken. It is obvious that voluntary assisted dying will make the elderly, the sick and the seemingly "useless" feel as if they are obliged to society to choose death. No one should think that the world will be a better place without them. The people who are in the position to foster, prolong and nurture life (the medical E500 Clare Robinson 4751 professionals) should devote their energies to doing that. They should not be the same people to mete out death as well. No

Our household does not agree with Euthanasia as : Euthanasia laws corrode the culture, values and ethical framework of our health care institutions. In other jurisdictions children and depressed teenagers are now allowed to be euthanised. It gives the eugenic and utilitarian tendencies in some of the population open licence to fully develop a culture that treats vulnerable humans and expendable. Proper palliative care becomes an ‘expensive optional extra’ that ‘government can’t afford’. The culture creeps into family life, at the very time a sacred moment of a loved one’s passing is imminent the new E501 Kerry Boettcher 4341 culture of killing steps in to cloud the judgement of family members. No

I am against murder of any type including capital punishment. I was in Darwin when they made voluntary assisted dying legal and believe the first to use this law did it to be a FIRST, rather than to stop pain (it was reported in the paper that he had been working on a roof ling job the day. Since then my sister was under palliave care as she was given a choice of more chemotherapy or palliative care, she had been advised that the pain of the chemotherapy may only give her another month to live, she chose palliave care, I rag her regularly and spoke to her on the night she died in peace. My consideration is also that voluntary assisted dying can be used by next of kin to save inheritance spending and I do not E502 Francis Mumme 4886 trust governments in their fiscal considerations of caring for the aged. No As a current nursing student, my experience in the field and studies have grown my values on human life and it’s incredible value. I would hate to be in a work environment where vol. assisted dying is legal and, as a staff member, I am E503 Ashley Bresnehan 4226 obliged to assist a patient in the process of ending their own life. No What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I have been a registered nurse since 1991, and have worked extensively with those who have a terminal illness, and have also cared for family members with terminal illness (motor neurone disease and CVA). I most recently have worked for 5 yrs on a palliative ward (QHealth), 18 mths in community (BlueCare), and currently work as a volunteer in a palliative hospice. I have found at times in paid employment that the patient staff ratios have been deplorable, meaning that there has not been enough staff on a shift in order to adequately care for those who are totally dependent for all their needs to be met in a humane way. Waiting hours for assist staff (eg orderlies) due to scheduling issues in order to clean up an incontinent patient, or to reposition a patient to help improve symptoms, is not viable. Having 1 RN and 1 EN on a night shift for 20 patients means patients have to wait for symptom control or hygiene care, and staff breaks are not able to be taken leading to fatigue and illness. Working with dying patients and their families can be emotionally exhausting, often there is not enough support offered. And yet, there is a satisfaction and privilege of experience that can be felt when care is given as it should, patient and family needs are met, and the journey is smooth. I have found working as a volunteer has been a beneficial experience as it is much more patient centred, there is a paid RN, a volunteer carer (usually an RN or Cerficate trained carer), and a volunteer support person for 3 "guests" and their families. I do not agree with assisted dying, I have found if funding and staffing is adequate, a person can be cared for in a way that can be beautiful. It gives opportunity for family and friends to talk and express their love and concern. I would agree with stopping "treatment for a cure" sooner, and allow nature to take it's course. I have found most symptoms can be controlled and a person can be made comfortable with medications available. I have also seen people very depressed who feel like they are "not wanting to go on" whose symptoms have improved and they have gone on "living well" for months before actually dying in comfort. Those memories have been invaluable for friends and families to assist in their grief. I would implore you to not E504 Julie-Ann Douglas 4569 place me in a position of having to go against my ethics/beliefs and be involved in assisted dying. No How can you let emotionally unstable people make the decision to live or not? How can you let kids and teens choose, they have not fully developed yet and cannot make the decision let alone anyone else. People shouldn’t be able to choose E505 Jaakin Klein 4209 to die. No I am concerned that Palliative care is being offered within Aged Care facilities which are already badly understaffed with very low staff to patient ratios. Palliative care would generally be expected to require a higher level of staff attendance and support. Paents are generally incapable of pressing call buons etc and require more staff me. My mother was receiving palliative care in an Aged Care facility, before she passed away during the night. It was very difficult to get staff to assist her even when I was there to go and find them. I hate to think of her dying alone and frightened during the E506 Janine Chard 4224 night. Yes

I truly believe that voluntary assisted dying should be legalised in Qld. People should have the choice themselves when there is no hope of their body recovering and they are often in a lot iof pain and have little or no quality of life. I’m 68 yo E507 JAcquelune Scowen 4115 not at this stage thankfully but have seen friends suffer and unable to pass away with dignity. Yes E508 THE COMMITTEE HAS NOT ACCEPTED THIS SUBMISSION E509 Confidential E510 THE COMMITTEE HAS NOT ACCEPTED THIS SUBMISSION What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

Aged care services and supports are a complex web, that even the most articulate struggle to navigate - let alone someone without family supporng them. Everything from in-home services, to aged care facilies, to even the financial aspects of what a person is entitled to receive, is incredibly difficult to understand. If you want to raise an issue or complaint, this can take months to resolve. Our personal experience of a grandparent in a state run aged cared facility was prey average to say the least ... cannot imagine a privately run facility, who's looking to make a profit. Just the process of finding out information, where to go if you have concerns (provider, DHS, ombudsman), understanding means tested fees - it is all horribly complex. The system is not working in the best interest of our elderly, and I am confident the Royal Commission will reveal the issues, inconsistencies and failures of the system in it's duty of care to vulnerable E511 Jacinta Nemeth 4157 seniors. The question is, what, if anything will be done. Yes

It is my belief that there is in place enough help for those who are dying so that they die with dignity. This is from my personal experience in this area. I think today many people dont want to face the hared things in life like pain and suffering but these are an integrel part of life. We live in a society who want an easy way out of everything. I have been part of the dying process for a friends who died of brain cancer, lymphatic system shut down and kidney and heart failure. There is enough pallitive care to ensure that one dan die with dignity. We are born at a particular time of which we did E512 Donna Greenslade 4132 not choos and when we die we die at a time when our time is up. We live and die from our choices. No

I believe that it should be up to the individual to make the choice re. voluntary assisted dying. If you have a terminal illness, with no chance of recovery, then no one else should tell you that you have to suffer because of some misguided notion of the sanctity of life. The choice to end your own life is the last act of self determination and control that person E513 Kim Hodson 4051 can make in a situation of being out of control. So I wholeheartedly support voluntary assisted dying. Yes

My main concern is that people living in a democracy that honours and values individual freedoms, rights and decision- making, should extend these principles to end of life considerations. Taking away the rights of a person who is struggling with extreme pain, disability or hopelessness in other situations, and who has given consideration to their situation and options, is a violation of that person's rights when they are in a desperate and vulnerable state. In not having appropriate end of life legislation, the State is visiting great cruelty on these people when, in fact, it should be offering its support for E514 Keith Jackson AM 4567 their desires and best welfare, as they have determined it. Yes I believe we should be able to make our own choices about dying. If we are in pain, our quality of life has no chance of improving and we have had enough, we should be able to make the choice to end one's life. Otherwise we are being a drain on resources in our local area, being a drain to our family (emotionally and financially) and we would be bitterly sad and tired in our own selves. We assist animals to die when their lives are no longer worth staying around for, so why E515 Rebecca Barrett 4223 can't we do this for human beings? Yes E516 June Donaldson 4164 I am a Christian. I cannot accept assisted dying by ct No What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

People who desire to suicide are capable of doing the job themselves and can choose the best and easiest way of doing this awful thing. They do NOT need help. To make 'assisted suicide' (murder) legal is merely an avenue desired by some to open the gateway for 'assisted suicide' on a much larger and much broader scale - and regardless of age, sex or health. Further, it becomes an opportunity to ENCOURAGE more and more 'assisted suicide', for there are some who would reduce the world's population and they would do so by any and every means possible - preferably in a legal manner. (These deliberately ignore the fact that the whole of the world's populaon could comfortably live in Africa.). There are a large number of elderly people who feel they are a burden on society and these will be encouraged to suicide, when in fact, they should be told THE TRUTH:- they have been good citizens of the nation, working, raising family, encouraging peace and goodwill, etc. etc. - generally making Australia great. These good people should be encouraged - NOT to suicide - but to realise that the nation is deeply indebted to them and they have EVERY RIGHT to the longest and E517 Allan Choveaux 4560 best possible life. No It is my belief that each person has the right to choose whether or not or how they receive end of life assistance. Religious beliefs of a few in Government should not dictate each individuals desire on their personal circumstances E518 Heather Levett 4051 especially in this instance. Yes

Having no say entering this world, I feel I am entitled to a say about leaving this world - terminally ill or not. Why should E519 Robert and Wendy Jubb 4370 illness be the trigger? Yes E520 Confidential E521 Michael Canny 4221 No way. Don"t play God. Good palliative care is available. No

I have seen people who have lived a full and active life for the most part of their lives only to have an illness that is terminal affect them in their later years. If this illness is as terminal as doctors predict and the patient is wholly behind the decision I feel that it is the patients right to decide if they wish to stay in a world that will create more pain and illness along with upset and concern for the family and close members of the paent. Put in this sit uaon I would be in favour of the reform to have assisted finality of my life. Please consider as well as the patients situation the burden on those who love and care for them. As much as they would like to have their dear ones with them it would seem to me that those relaves would like to do what is the most humane outcome for the paent. I do not consider this to be an easy way out but a much beer way for all concerned. Thank you for this oppurnity to have E522 Ian Boyce 4225 my say. Yes Aged care and end of life care does not have enough share of the healthcare budget. The easy road for doctors is to prolong life even though it may be painful because they are subject to too much scruny if they suggest anything else. Care standadrs for aged people are not high enough - staff training too low, pay not high enough, staff/patient ratios too E523 Claire Brereton 4171 low. I absolutely support VAD with appropriate safeguards. Yes E524 Nicholas Ponting 4171 I think voluntary assisted dying is the correct way to go and should be legislated for. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

My mother spent the final few years of her life in an aged care facility. Whilst the staff were kind and helpful, the facility was under staffed. I witnessed on countless occasions, patients calling our for help and having to wait far too long to be attended to. It was no wonder that the staff were sometimes irritable, even with those in their care, as they were literally run off their feet. Staffing numbers. My mother spent the final few years of her life in an aged care facility. Although the staff were kind and helpful, the place was understaffed and as a result, patients had to wait an unnecessarily long time after pressing their call buttons. I witnessed staff becoming irritable with those under their care because they were E525 Patricia Azzopardi 4558 literally run off their feet. The staffing levels need to be increased in these facilies. No E526 THE COMMITTEE HAS NOT ACCEPTED THIS SUBMISSION E527 Kate Dellit 4163 Have special facilities for terminal young people. Yes

Deliberately ending a life is murder. It is also science denial. While life exists, it is meant to continue. By imposing conditions on what life is, those doing so are deciding who should live and what living actually looks like. And deciding to E528 Gordon Nunn 4054 end a life is therefore a judgment call that imposes restrictions on life that no one has the right to enforce. No

Issues for consideration: 25. VAD should be allowed in Queensland. In cases where the person is suffering unbearable physical or mental pain related to an incurable illness, it is inhumane and arguably criminal to withhold medication which would allow him/her to die voluntarily and unecessary suffering. 26. VAD should be defined as the means by which a person who is suffering unbearable physical or mental pain related to an incurable illness can access lethal medication prescribed by a doctor that will bring about their death at a time of his/her choosing. The medication could be administered by a doctor or the patient, but under medical supervision. 27. I work as a personal carer at an end-of-life hospice (Katie Rose Hospice) and would support a scheme in Queensland to allow VAD. 28. Features: a. Patient must be suffering intractable and unbearable pain, either physical or mental or both. b. Patient must voluntarily express their wish to die, by mouth or a valid Health Directive, completed when patient was competent. c. Patient can choose to end his/her own life at a time of his/her own choosing, using a process overseen by a medical practitioner. d. Persons do not need to be terminally ill or end-of-life. e. Available to citizens and non-citizens f. Scheme based on provisions in the Criminal Code 29. Must have eligibility criteria and safeguards. 30. Adult patients can access VAD; patients aged 16 – 18 can access VAD if they have a reasonable understanding of their own interests and parents or guardians have been involved in the decision-making process; patients aged 12 – 15 can access VAD if the conditions above apply and their parents or guardians consent to the decision. What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

31. See 30. 32. The person who has a diagnosis of a terminal illness, which will conceivably result in pain and suffering that he/she considers unbearable, should have the option of VAD, to be called on whenever needed. They may not choose to use VAD, but having the option would provide a great degree of comfort and dispel the fear of end-of-life suffering to a great degree. 33. Features: a. Assessment by two medical physicians; b. Declaraon by paent and/or valid Health Direcve created when competent c. Permission of parents in cases of paents aged 12-18 years. d. Lethal medication prescribed to be administered under the supervision of a medical physician, when the patient requires it. 34. The safeguards should be built into the assessment by medical physicians. It should be very clear that the paent is not requesng VAD at the behest of relaves or associates wishing to rush the paent's death to further their own ends. 35. Access to counselling services should not be compulsory, but should be offered. 36. VAD centres could offer special surroundings for the paent and supporng friends and associates to gather during the VAD process, plus post-VAD counselling for the relave and friends aerwards. 37. Yes. If praconers are forced to do assessments, their conscienous objecon would negavely affect their assessments. 38. Yes. Praconers holding a conscienous objecon to VAD should be legally required to refer a pat en to a E529 Julia Walkden 4563 praconer that does not hold a conscienous objecon, or a service provider that offers such a service. Yes

Euthanasia is a slippery slope! Voluntary assisted dying can be a cover up for murder because of inheritance, not wanting to provide care or to save money on care. Euthanasia is an extremely easy cover up for abuse and bullying of the most vulnerable. There is enough pain relief alternaves available to ensure nobody has to be in extreme pain. The increase in the older populaon is NOT a reason to allow euthanasia. You cannot address young adults suicide whilst you legislate that it is OK in other situaons. There is always the chance that a diagnosis is incorrect. Term of life and quality of life is subjecve. New remedies can be found for diseases. Please do not pass this bill. I fi nd it repulsive that we already can murder babies up to 40 weeks without compulsive in depth counselling for both parents are we now to encourage the E530 Deidre Sala 4228 deaths of everyone? No What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

Life is precious and it is not the prerogative of the medical profession to take a life. I call on the Queensland Government to improve the dignity of those with a terminal illness by improving the supply and funding for effective and compassionate palliative care both in city and rural areas. I call on the Government to take away the potential lack of trust in the medical system that assisted suicide could engender and the potential of unlawful killing, despite regulations, of vulnerable Queensland citizens. My mother died of Non Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2007. She received excellent palliative care in our rural town in the months before she died. If it had been legal and she had opted for assisted suicide when her condition became untreatable my mother and our family and her friends would have been denied some of the most precious times of her life. Likewise my mother-in-law though she suffered from dementia for several years was loved and gave love to her family and carers during the time that she was in care. It was hard to see a woman who had been so strong, independent and capable become so dependent but there was a peace and love that Mum shared with us that had not always been so evident when she was younger. I would not have liked either my mother or mother-in-law to be under the pressure of having to consider assisted suicide as an available option for their end of life. They were both caring women and women who did not want to be burdens on society (and I add they were not) so would they have lived or died worrying that they did not select the option that would be better for society, the economy, the health system, the current way of thinking? No, they were stronger than that and held onto the dignity of life but there would be others who would feel devalued by society and opt for assisted suicide.

The World Health Organisation defines palliative care as follows: “Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.” (World Health Organizaon Fact Sheet No 402, Palliave Care, July 2015.) I support the belief that palliative care neither includes euthanasia or physician assisted suicide. It is personal and is focused of the individual and his or her family. Timely and thorough care provides quality of life and the relief of suffering. There needs to be respectful, compassionate and dignified input by the patient, their families, their medical advisers and carers when making decisions for the delivery of palliative and end of life care in the form of Advanced Health care Plans. Withdrawing or refusing life sustaining treatment, (including withholding artificial hydration) or providing medication to relieve suffering, do not constute euthanasia if this is according to the paent’s wishes. As our society increases its aging population, people with disabilities or lack or significant others or finance could be most susceptible to bowing to the pressure of ending their lives by requesting assisted suicide. In the light of the recent Queensland Abortion Bill, if a doctor did not agree with assisting in their patient’s death would that patient then have to be referred to someone who would kill them and would anyone who advised otherwise be prosecuted? What level of counselling would be offered? My concerns are grave. Would the option of assisted suicide stifle research and advancement of treatment of terminal E531 Jacqueline Carlyle 4413 diseases or care of the less healthy? No What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I believe that voluntary assisted dying (VAD) should be legalised in Queensland. Those opposed to this action usually do so as a result of their religious beliefs, although they are not always prepared to state that such beliefs are the reason for their opposition. Of course, no-one opposed to VAD should be compelled to participate in such a process, meither as the person who is terminally ill, nor as a medical practioner assessing the case. So I am absolutely prepared to accept that not everyone shares my views on VAD. Regrettably, the same flexibility does not apply to those opposed to VAD, who believe that people should be compelled not to participate in the process. For example, VAD was briefly legal in the Northern Territory before the Commonwealth Government, led by a person with deep religious convictions (Kevin Andrews) overturned the NT law. The fears expressed by those opposed to VAD that rapacious relaves and/or complicit medical practitioners will force sick people into VAD have proven completely unfounded in those European countries where VAD is legal. if anything, the assessing doctors err on the side of refusing VAD. Moreover, a very recent poll conducted by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), showed that number of physicians wanted the College to support VAD had increased from 31.6% from 24.6% as recently as 2014. As a result, the RCP has moved from an opposition stance to one of neutrality re the issue. A straw poll of our friends in their 70s and 80s shows almost unanimous support for VAD, of course with appropriate safeguards such as already exist in the Netherlands etc. My 92 year old mother, who has been bed bound in a nursing home for several years, just wishes she would go to sleep one night and not wake up. In fact, as she is not terminally ill, she would not be a candidate for VAD, even in the Netherlands but that situation is an illustration both of the attitude of many elderly people and of how tight are the existing safeguards, which would E532 Michael Taylor 4567 presumably apply in Queensland. Yes E533 Confidential

I have been a volunteer at a local hospital for several years & see first hand the sick & dying. I also witnessed my own dear Mother in dreadful pain dying of incurable Cancer. Everyday she would ask one of the family including myself to please take her life. She would beg us some days to please put her out of her misery. We had nurses coming in at home to administer morphine but it wasn't enough. Do I need to say more!! let humans die with dignity. I loved my Mother very much and still see the pain in her eyes. That will never leave me. I am a Christian and believe voluntary assisted dying is E534 Annie Hayes 4224 the kindest and most loving thing we can do for our loved ones when they are terminal. Yes We would like to see voluntary assisted dying introduced for those with terminal conditions, because we believe we should have the right to choose to end our life if the quality of our life is compromised to the point where we cannot sustain our existence in the manner we have always done. No one should have to suffer intolerable pain. Everybody should have the right to live and die according to their E535 Peter & Ina Woodman 4816 conscience. My choice, my life, my dignity. We do not let animals suffer why should humans. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I am in favour of allowing palliative care to happen, which provides the relatively pain free journey to a life's end, an end foreordained by God. He is the author of life, and mankind should not violate this truth by becoming the author of the timing of death. The Hippocratic oath has, for 2500 years enshrined the belief that intentional killing is the last thing that could possibly amount to care. But euthanasia re-engineers this most basic and fundamental principle which shapes the way we, as a society, understand life, death, suffering and care. Belgium and the Netherlands – the two nations where euthanasia has been legal the longest – bear witness to the scale of the disaster. When euthanasia was introduced in those countries, it was much more limited than it is today. But it was always going to expand. Because once the bedrock principle of the sanctity of life is done away with, there is no clear alternative. Which lives are no longer sacred, exactly? Elderly lives? How elderly? You say 100 years of age… Why not 99? 90? 85? Or perhaps terminally ill lives? So, what should their life expectancy be? 6 months? Why not 9 months? A year? Why not end a life that is facing the prospect of 3 years of pain? Speaking of pain, what kind of pain? Surely if we limit it to physical suffering, we are just stigmatising mental illness? After years of raising awareness around mental illness that would be entirely improper. In both nations this has been their slippery slope. In Belgium, children of any age can be euthanised. In the Netherlands, it is still limited to people over the age of 12. Both nations permit euthanasia for mental suffering – no more LifeLine or Beyond Blue, then. Mobile “euthanasia units” will come to your house to administer the lethal dose, on demand. Reports indicate that the elderly are seeking aged care across the border in Germany out of fear that they will be euthanised.

Euthanasia cases have rapidly increased to the point where it now accounts for 4.5% of deaths. Those deaths include people who are “red of life”, or never even gave their explicit consent. But that is just the beginning. Let me share just a ny number of the documented cases. In 2013, a 44-year-old was euthanised aer a botched sex-change surgery le her looking, in her words, “like a monster.” Last year in Holland, a doctor had sedated an elderly female paent by drugging her coffee. But whilst the lethal drip was inserted, the patient unexpectedly rallied and began to struggle. The doctor called on the patient’s family to hold her down whilst she was killed. A subsequent investigation found that the doctor had “crossed a line” and should not have proceeded, but had not broken the law. The year before, a woman was euthanised for mental suffering stemming from her history of child sexual abuse. Last year in Belgium, an elderly woman was euthanised without having requested it at all. The decision was made for her by her family. A 2015 Belgian report indicated that this was not an isolated case. 1 in 60 deaths under a GP’s care in Belgium now occur without an explicit request from the paent. What horrific results from a law that is supposed to bring relief. Will these kind of deaths happen here? One only has to look at the death of Dr David Goodall to know that it will. Australian advocates have barely raised an eyebrow or murmured discontent at the idea of a man killing himself simply because he is old. That should E536 Ian Moncrieff 4650 concern us all. It tells us where the mindset of euthanasia advocates really rests: quite a way down the “slippery slope.” No What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

Like many I've seen close family and friends dying in pain through terminal cancer and other major health issues but I never give up hope for their recovery. The situation from a natural point of view may look dire but no-one can be sure death is imminent, even doctors. There has been many instances of miraculous recoveries. Sometimes there is a cure that may come to light. Oen the desire to die is one that is based on emoonal or psychological trauma. There is no excuse for assisted dying only assisted living. Any premeditated or reactive action to aid a person's death goes against all of our human insncts for survival and a right to life. Any legislaon that would aid doctors and others giving wrong advice should not be considered. I know much of this has been spoke before but the truths about life and love don't change. E537 Anthony Ford 4504 Thank You for listening No

Value life, it is a gi. For assisted dying to even be considered as entering into legislaon is very difficult to comprehend. The boundaries of such a legislaon would be difficult to lock downIn Queensland this is forming part of an inquiry into "aged care" ..... and by the paper's own definition & terms of reference "The term "aged care" covers a range of personal care to assist older people as they age." This formed part of the 2011 Producvity commission. Mixed messages ..... care, assist .... as they age .... in contrast to assist death. Legal Definion of care. 1 : watchful or protecve aenon, cauon, concern, prudence, or regard usually towards an action or situation especially : due care a person has a duty to use care in dealing with others, and failure to do so is negligence hps://www.merriam-webster.com/diconary/careThe ABC 7.30 report on the Victorian debate on this, (hps://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-21/doctors-divided-over-voluntary- assisted-dying-legislaon/8827204) spoke of less than half AMA doctors supporng the legislaon. In the transcript Dr Gold reflects ... "what we've been doing is to protect and save and to honour life, ...... " (as Medical professionals). Dr Gold also expresses concern over patients who may feel a burden to their families feeling a pressure to make this choice ..... which is not a 'real choice' at all. This type of legislation is a huge shift for the medical profession to consider, and has far reaching implicaons. There has been Aged 'Care' reform. An Aged 'Care' website introduced and a package announced in the 2018 Federal budget called " More choices for a Longer Life" ... mixed, greyed, blurred messages if - assisng death is now being considered as part of reform. There are problems within the Age Care 'industry' that are sll coming to light. Even in places where there is care and compassion. I have a parent currently in care, there are obvious stretches on resource- staff ratios and staff training/capability in question, even in that caring environment. Lots of stress and time being put in to preparing for Audits. The focus is too easily shifted from Care to economic viability ... again, a concerning background for something like VAD to be being considered. Your paper provided an 'Overview of selected VAD schemes', - in looking into some of those mentioned countries schemes, there have been plenty of challenges and tragic outcomes for families & individuals who have entered into VAD. It poses more questions than providing answers, opens more potential legal loop holes than clearly defined appropriate or inappropriate reason - in your paper's own quote from the Brish Medical journal "There is no stable consensus as to the meaning of "assisted dying"." Value life - make wise decisions ... have fewer regrets. Hopefully you consider this to have at least addressed some of the concerns over E538 E Kimmince 4350 Queson 25. Thank you for your consideraon. No E539 THE COMMITTEE HAS NOT ACCEPTED THIS SUBMISSION What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

1.Under current law an adult has the right to suicide. However, if that person loses their independence they also lose that right, because whoever 1.1. Under current law an adult has the right to suicide. However, if that person loses their independence they also lose the right to suicide, because whoever assists them in even the slightest way, is deemed a murderer. 2.To avoid this trap, many sll healthy people decide to suicide well before they need to. Somemes several years. 3.If, however, they knew that once their lives became intolerable because of pain or other problems they could be assisted to end their lives painlessly, then they would connue to live for as long as possible. 4.Current laws are causing unnecessarily early suicides. 5.I support voluntary assisted suicide, but do not see why this should be the burden of the medical profession. It is the decision of the would-be suicide, and nothing to do with the doctor, who is rightly charged with keeping people alive and healthy.. 6.When a raonal person decides to die, then, once they have been declared raonal, the best person to assist them is a E540 Peter Taylor 4569 close friend or relave. Yes

Firstly, I am NOT a believer in any Religion. I consider Religions a CURSE! I feel very annoyed that Religions have so much sway over Governments, and their influences have so much influence on the Laws that Govern US! The Victorian Legislation for VAD was so watered down by 'influence' that it is not worth the paper it is printed on. No person has much chance of passing all the hurdles put there by Religionists etc. before they die a lingering and usually unnecessarily painful death. I beware of 'stacked' Inquiry Committies filtering what gets to Governments. I am not a believer in Palliative Care beyond a point where it becomes useless. Religionists and Conservative medicos are great pushers of Palliative Care, because it does what religionists etc. want, stop a person getting to end their lives well. I agree that persons must want to end their lives for a reason THEY consider to be valid. Each person must provide considered consent to having their lives ended. But the considerations MUST NOT be forced by either Medicos, Religionists or Governments. A person must have the capacity to make the decision to have their lives ended, or assist them to end their own lives if possible, and this CAPACITY should be certified by NON-INTERESTED person or persons, such as Psychologists. A third party, such as a willing medical practioner, may assist in ending that person's life, especially in the use of particular drugs. A person does NOT NEED to be judged competent at the time of life ending, if the person has a valid, written or printed, and signed by the person and witness to the signature, advanced directive given when judged competent, that they desire that they be assisted to euthanasia when THEY want it. What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I say that a person may have a desire to have life ended when they need it for perhaps other than sickness or injury, and this should be available, if NO COERCION is applied by anyone or any organisaon in either direcon, yea or nay! I say that VAD should be legislated and passed in Queeensland, but in much better form than that the Victorians have been saddled with. VAD is indeed Voluntary Assisted Dying, or assisted Euthanasia, or End of Life. No criminal aspect must be applied to the persons assisng the dying, or to relaves of the dying. Any person of reasonably sound mind should have access, without jumping through years of insane hoops, to VAD, Including those over Age of 18. And in some cases of those under 18 years. There should be NO other exclusions to access to VAD, or Euthanasia. I consider so called Councelling Services to be put there as stoppers. Usually stacked with Religionists of one brand or another. Like School Councellors, paid for by Federal Conservative Government, but OWNED by various RELIGIONS! If a person should desire Councelling, they should be able to select those whose opinions they cherish or know to be intelligent and well thought out in such circumstances. They do not necessarily HAVE TO do what they are advised to do or not do. This would be their DECISION! If a person desires VAD/Euthanasia, they may be in some distress, but will usually have decided the maer and be firm in their desires. Family and friends should respect the wishes of the person wanting VAD/Euthanasia, and not apply emoonal pressure to them. Yes, if a Medical Praconer for whatever reasons is not desiring to assist a paent wanting VAD/Euthanasia, they should be, if necessary, obliged to refer the patient to a Medical Practitioner who is willing E541 Darryl Perrett 4455 to act according to the new Queensland Law. Yes

Any law that does no uphold the value of vulnerable life, is a bad law. Even if you take the moral and ethical, point of view out of the equation, which is undeniable obverse that it is not morally sound. This law itself would contradict the very cornerstone of what law is, and it's place in our society. Then if you included the "pressure" put on an elderly person by their family to kill themselves as their "duty" (wether real or imaginary). This law does not protect or uphold life for the vulnerable. Also you will never, never be able to police such a law. For what limitations can you put on the term E542 Andrew White 4740 "someone in serious, incurable pain". NONE. No Aged care providers should NOT be waiting on outcomes of the current Royal Commission. There is ample research to provide norms that should be minimum standards in all aged care facilities, including an immediate and significant increase in care staff. Obscene levels of profit are currently made by some provider companies, running aged care as a business not much above the standard of alms houses of old! Palliative care: more funding and support should be provided for hospice at home organisations. Enabling a partner to die at home is the most wonderful final gift to give, but this can only happen if family support is aided by outside service E543 Patricia Chardon 4068 providers. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

I am in favour of the Swiss model for voluntary euthanasia Ie: no terminal condition required for assisted suicide for non- selfish moves. People opt to shorten their lives in a variety of ways whether it be from excessive alcohol, over- medicaon, poor diet or high risk acvies. There is no Queensland law prevenng any of these choices. If a person judges their life to lack quality and purpose due to pain, physical incapacity or any other reason, they should have the legal right to shorten it decisively without resorting to any of the four methods mentioned above. Under current legislation the State allows a person to drink themselves to an early alcoholic death. But the State does not allow that person to nominate for a dignified departure at a me of their choosing. In the case of a person lacking mental capacity then a pre-exisng formal health direcve agreeing to assisted death should legalise the procedure. The use of pentobarbital in Switzerland has been an effecve and efficient tool which I would recommend for use in Queensland. It E544 Denise Marcos 4101 is me for the law to be considerate and compassionate regarding voluntary euthanasia. Yes My wife and I are both in favour of the government developing a policy that provides a positive legal framework for E545 Peter Barrett 4225 voluntary assisted dying. Yes People of Sound Mind, should have the right to document their end of life plans in the event of terminal illness, palliative, onset of advancing dementia, frail aging or accidental trauma where quality of life is extremely and permanently E546 Kerry Clarkson 4571 impaired. Dignity should not be traded for longevity. Yes E547 Roslyn Mcgilvray 4496 I support the end-of-life and palliative care and voluntary assisted dying committee. Yes My brother suffered with cancer & over the years we watched as he went from a very healthy, strong man to a shadow of his self. He was in pain for a considerable me & oen said he wished he would die. I appreciate that a lot of care has to be exercised when a person decides to end their life & safeguards have to be in place to ensure it is the right decision. Nevertheless, if quality of life consists of never-ending pain, I believe a person has the E548 Greg Hammond 4221 right to terminate their existence. Yes What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

It is amazing the progress that medicine has made in improving health outcomes and lengthening our lives significantly. However this has come at a major cost to how we deal with the natural processes of illness, ageing, death and dying. Health care professionals aren't trained to deal with the latter and feel completely ill-equipped. Our general health system is not designed to provide holistic, person-centered care (especially in the Aged Care sector which is so profit- driven). It focuses very much on physical needs and outcomes. As a society we value people who are functional and productive and it is no wonder that people with illness, disability etc feel devalued and lack meaning and purpose in their lives. This is only confirmed further by the language used in the media and Parliament (e.g. "the 'burden' of the ageing population"). Furthermore, families are often spread globally, are busy, and dependent on professionals to care for their loved ones, unlike previously when family members provided most of the care. The stories which are leading to people supporting VAD are real, and devastating. However, there are sections of the health care system that provide exceptional holistic care, support people with a terminal illness and their loved ones to find purpose and meaning, comfort, excellent symptom control, die naturally and peacefully in what their loved ones describe as a very 'special' time, and lead to a healthy grieving process. A person who is dying can teach so much to their loved ones, caring for a loved one can be a very meaningful (and challenging) time. People (including children) from many other cultures who view illness and dying as a normal and natural part of life, have a respect for their elderly and a completely different view on the whole topic also have very special, peaceful deaths and healthy grieving and would never consider VAD. Before we can even begin to discuss VAD, we need to urgently address our health system (training and delivery), entire aged care system, specialist palliative care funding and training, community care and address our societal attitudes towards illness, ageing and dying. VAD is just the easy solution to address such complex issues, it doesn't make it the right solution though. Once the other issues are addressed, I suspect the requests for VAD will significantly diminish. (On a personal level, as an agnostic who is unsure the answers to the 'bigger' questions, as all the major religions do not support VAD, I could not support something E549 Helen Sheppard that has the potential to have such a significant impact on somebody post death). No What would you like to tell the committee (up to 1,000 words)? The next screen has a question about voluntary Voluntary assisted No. Your first name Your last name Postcode assisted dying. dying

Have we lost our moral compass? In this current generaon we have lost religious values, especially Chrisan values. Some may see this as totally irrelevant to the debate on Euthanasia, but is it really? Religion and religious teaching play a significantly role in our society, including by providing a solid moral compass to our set of values. Indeed, the very fabric of our society revolves around the 10 commandments. For many in this country and worldwide Religion is a part of the culture, tradition and history. In our society we desperately try to preserve culture, tradition and history, yet try to ignore religion and denigrate religious values as outdated, while the two are intertwined. Do we also ignore the growing Muslim faith and their values for life? These are important things to consider in this debate in Euthanasia. We are driven by the emotions of a few very loud voices, saying we don’t want to suffer right now and ignore the long-term consequences for ourselves and others. We need to acknowledge the many wonderful people in our society who suffer through mental, physical and emotional struggles all their life. What about the family, friends, carers and supporters for these people? Many of these people could take the easy way out through euthanasia but this would degrade those struggles to support life no maer what. For many of these people who are religious and non-religious the sancty of life before birth and ll end of life is sll very important. Many don’t know why, it just is! Many who have trails in life tesfy that the struggles, pains, suffering and demands make them stronger, more resilient. We all know this and even teach this. So why are we looking for an easy way out? How does this conflict with the values we want to teach society? We don’t know the meaning of all things, the how, the when or the why, but deep within us all is a desire to preserve life at all cost. By generang these laws, we begin a process to devalue life and erode our desire preserve life at all cost. We hear the strong emotional arguments in support of these laws but fail to hear the equally strong emotional arguments to protect life. Look at the bigger picture and millions who are silently trying to protect life no maer what their current struggles. E550 Kevin Jensen 4212 This leer is on their behalf. Let’s value life not take it! No