DOCSLIB.ORG

Legislative Council Tuesday 23 March 2021

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Legislative Council Tuesday 23 March 2021 PARLIAMENT OF TASMANIA LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL REPORT OF DEBATES Tuesday 23 March 2021 REVISED EDITION Tuesday 23 March 2021 The President, Mr Farrell, took the Chair at 11 a.m., acknowledged the Traditional People and read Prayers. PETITIONS Kettering - Construction of Pedestrian Pathway [11.02 a.m.] Dr Seidel presented an e-petition from 248 electors of Huon calling on the Government to support the construction of a pedestrian pathway between Oyster Court and Oxleys Road on the Channel Highway in Kettering. Support for Youth - Mental Health Challenges Ms Forrest presented an e-petition from 718 citizens of Tasmania calling on the Government to ensure support for youth and mental health challenges, including eating disorders. Petitions received. TABLED PAPERS Government Response to Petition - Garden Island Creek and Garden Island Sands - Erosion Mrs Hiscutt tabled the Government's response to the member for Huon's petition regarding the preservation of Garden Island Creek and Garden Island Sands from erosion and the provision of safe beach access. Government Administration Committee A - Inquiry Initiated by Committee of its Own Motion Ms Forrest presented the special report of Government Administration Committee A in relation to an inquiry initiated by the committee of its own motion. Report received. Legislative Council Select Committee - Production of Documents Ms Forrest presented the report of the Legislative Council Select Committee on the Production of Documents, along with evidence received by the committee. Report received and printed. 1 Tuesday 23 March 2021 SPECIAL INTEREST MATTERS Kingborough Community Awards [11.10 a.m.] Ms WEBB (Nelson) - Mr President, I pay my respects to the palawa/pakana of lutruwita Tasmania, the Tasmanian Aboriginal community, as the traditional owners and continuing custodians of this land that we are on today. I pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging and recognise the connection of the palawa to this land for over 40 000 years. The rich culture that emanates from that connection has survived invasion and dispossession and continues today. This land was never ceded. I speak today on a very pleasant topic, the Kingborough community awards, which recognise the efforts of some constituents and groups within my community who have been honoured, quite rightly, for their wonderful contributions. The Kingborough Awards honour local residents who, through their commitment to community service, have made an outstanding contribution to the wellbeing of the Kingborough community. Each year I am amazed and heartened by the people of Kingborough who give so selflessly to help others in their community. Today I am delighted to recognise the 2021 recipients of the Kingborough Awards. The Kingborough Citizen of the Year Award is given to a person or group who, through great personal effort and initiative over a considerable time, has made a significant difference to the quality of life in the community. Else Phillips and David Vickery were the two exceptional people presented with the Citizen of the Year Award this year. Else Phillips is well known as committee president of Kingborough's Australia Day celebration A Day on the Beach, which attracts about 12 000 people to Kingston Beach to have fun, to share their pride in the community and to celebrate being Australian. Like so many events, A Day on the Beach was cancelled in 2021 but this may have been a welcome breather for Else who has been volunteering for 18 years in that role. She is a valued volunteer also with Loui's Van, St Vincent de Paul and the Kingborough Helping Hands. Else is also an active Rotary member and a key organiser of the Rotary Mega Market, the Youth Driver Awareness Program, the Youth Program of Enrichment and the Kingston Beach Fun Run, the Kingston club's major fundraiser which attracts several hundred people each year. I offer my huge congratulations to Else and thank her for her contribution. David Vickery also received the Citizen of the Year Award for his significant contribution to education, to disability services and to amateur drama in Kingborough. 2 Tuesday 23 March 2021 He set up some of the first amateur theatre productions in Kingborough, inviting locals to share his love of community theatre. David was an active member of the Parents and Friends Association for both Kingston Primary School and Kingston High School. He worked particularly hard to secure an above-ground pool for Learn to Swim at Kingston Primary at a time when there were no suitable swimming pools in the area. David also rallied the Kingston High School community to protest against the threat of funding cuts in 1990. David was made a life member of the Kingston High School P&F in 2011 in gratitude for his service and commitment to the school community over many years. David has also been an active member of the Disability Inclusion and Access Advisory Committee providing Kingborough Council with thoughtful advice and assistance to improve conditions for people with disability and their carers. It is a role Kingborough Council hopes that he will continue in for a long time yet, I hear. Another award given out is the Young Citizen of the Year Award, and it is with special pleasure that I recognise Bella Oakley, the worthy recipient of this year's Young Citizen of the Year Award. Citing the well-known Edna Pennicott as an inspiration, 13-year-old Bella has been volunteering with Kingborough Helping Hands since she was seven. For almost half her life Bella has been helping with baking, food distribution, fundraising and events, often being one of the last to leave after cleaning and packing up. Bella reached out to people in need during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering dog-walking, baking and grocery delivery to those who were unable to leave their homes. Bella is an active member of the St Aloysius Catholic College community. She is a member of the school's Mini Vinnies group and she also provides mentorship and support to new students. Bella has clearly made a positive difference in the lives of so many as a volunteer and a young community leader. I am very inspired by what the future holds for Bella and I thank her highly for what she has done for the community. Well done, Bella. The Taroona Community Association received a further award, the Community Group of the Year Award. That was for community support services, in particular its street coordinator program, which was established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The basis of this grassroots program was the appointment of local resident coordinators in each Taroona street. Coordinators made direct contact with the residents of their street and provided help to people in need, including arranging shopping and social support for older members of the community. This initiative was so successful, it has been continued during the bushfire season and through other emergencies. The Taroona Community Association also produces a regular newsletter which is hand-delivered to 1450 households throughout Taroona. This newsletter is a valued communication tool across the whole community. Finally, I give special mention to two certificates of appreciation awarded this year as part of the award ceremony. The first one was to Phil and Jill Long of Margate for their contribution to their community, and the second was to Kingborough Community Missions, a 3 Tuesday 23 March 2021 group that provides much-needed food and other support to the Kingborough community. Congratulations for the certificates of appreciation in those two instances. Many needed community services would not exist without volunteers. I hope all members will join me in congratulating this year's Kingborough Awards recipients, adding our personal thanks to each of them for the work they do. Members - Hear, hear. Kettering Walkers Pedestrian Pathways - Channel Highway [11.17 a.m.] Dr SEIDEL (Huon) - Mr President, I was privileged to present an e-petition from my electorate of Huon to this House earlier this morning, and I am pleased to speak on behalf of my fabulous constituents in the community of Kettering. Last year, I had the pleasure of joining the Kettering Walkers for a lovely walking tour of their picturesque community. The walking group is part of the wonderful Heart Foundation initiative that encourages healthy living by connecting people to become active with the benefit of making new friends. Walking is free and generally accessible. Walking for an average of 30 minutes a day can lower the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes by up to 40 per cent. Encouraging Tasmanians to walk has obvious benefits. The Kettering Walkers have certainly become friends of mine. During our walk, it was evident that some of the pedestrian pathways along the Channel Highway are not adequately equipped to accommodate foot traffic, or, much worse, they are actually non-existent and require pedestrians to 'go bush' next to this rather busy regional highway. It is not only unsafe but the Kettering community deserves and expects better. The Kingborough Chronicle, the local newspaper, visited the site on the 3 March and even during their visit, numerous vehicles travelling south were witnessed passing over the double dividing line into the oncoming traffic lane to avoid pedestrian walkers north of it toward the Kettering Community Hall. It such a dangerous situation that the local Kettering community is now bringing the situation to the attention of all members of parliament and the Government. The petition I tabled this morning is seeking Tasmanian Government support for the construction of approximately 200 metres of footpath on crown land that sits above the Channel Highway and the area between Oyster Court and Oxleys Road. Since 2018, the Kettering Walkers have been trying to have the obvious issue addressed.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Independent Review of the End of Life Choices (Voluntary Assisted Dying) Bill 2020
    Independent Review of the End of Life Choices (Voluntary Assisted Dying) Bill 2020 Prepared by the Tasmanian Policy Exchange at the University of Tasmania February 2021 Independent Review of the End of Life Choices (Voluntary Assisted Dying) Bill 2020 February 2021 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report has been prepared by the Tasmanian Policy Exchange (TPE) at the University of Tasmania. The TPE was established by the University of Tasmania as a strategic priority in 2020 to enhance the University’s capacity to make timely and informed contributions to policy issues and debates which will shape Tasmania’s future. The Review Panel would like to thank all those who made formal submissions to the Review and to colleagues in Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland who shared their expertise and insights at the Review workshop conducted in early February. We would also like to thank the researchers and staff across the University who contributed their time and expertise to the preparation of this report. THE REVIEW PANEL Professor Richard Eccleston (Chairperson), Tasmanian Policy Exchange Professor Fran McInerney, Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM Professor Margaret Otlowski, School of Madeleine Archer, UTAS Science/Law graduate Law Sarah Hyslop, Tasmanian Policy Exchange Associate Professor Jenny Presser, School of Medicine Hollie Jackson, UTAS Arts/Law graduate Contents TERMS OF REFERENCE ........................................................................................................................................................3
    [Show full text]
  • 23 March 2021
    LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Legislative Council Select Committee PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS MEDIA ADVISORY 23 March 2021 The Legislative Council Select Committee on the Production of Documents has today tabled its Report. The Report is available on the Parliament of Tasmania website at: https://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/ctee/Council/LC%20Select%20POD.html The Committee was established in response to disputes over the production of documents between governments and the Tasmanian Legislative Council and its Committees including Joint Committees. The report makes six recommendations. Committee Chair, the Hon Ruth Forrest MLC stated: The Tasmanian Legislative Council has the authority to treat refusal to produce documents as a contempt of the house and has a range of processes available that can be applied under standing orders to exert political pressure/remedies to respond to a refusal and that these processes have not been fully-exercised by the Tasmanian Legislative Council. The Committee recommended the Legislative Council and its committees consider the use of available punitive and coercive remedies to address disputes over the production of documents for when they may arise in the future. The Committee further recommended an additional dispute resolution process be considered by the Legislative Council Standing Orders Committee through possible amendment to the Legislative Council’s Standing Orders. This dispute resolution process be based upon the system of Responsible Government and underpinned by the power to call for documents, and consider the use of a suitably qualified independent adviser on claims of public interest immunity. Further recommendations included: • Consideration be given to the development of procedural orders to assist when claims of public interest immunity arise in the Legislative Council and its committees.
    [Show full text]
  • Yearbook 2014
    TASMANIAN LEADERS YEARBOOK 2014 LEADERS TASMANIAN YEARBOOK 2014 TASMANIAN LEADERS YEARBOOK 2014 CONTENTS OUR MISSION ..........................................................................................4 OUR VALUES .............................................................................................4 ABOUT TASMANIAN LEADERS .................................................5 PROGRAM OUTCOMES ...................................................................5 MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR .......................................................6 REFLECTIONS ON THE 2014 TLP JOURNEY ......................8 TLP 2014 GRADUATES ................................................................... 20 2014 LEARNING SET PROJECTS .............................................. 44 EMPLOYER TESTIMONIALS .......................................................... 46 LEADERSHIP CHAMPIONS .......................................................... 48 THANK YOU ........................................................................................... 49 TLI BOARD MEMBERS ..................................................................... 50 TASMANIAN LEADERS ALUMNI SUB-COMMITTEE UPDATE .......................................................... 52 2013 GRADUATION DINNER ................................................... 55 GRADUATES ON THE GO ........................................................... 56 TLP GRADUATES ................................................................................ 58 OUR PARTNERS ..................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Voluntary Assisted Dying) Bill 2020
    SUBMISSION TO THE UTAS REVIEW PANEL IN RELATION TO THE END OF LIFE CHOICES (VOLUNTARY ASSISTED DYING) BILL 2020 JANUARY 2021 INTRODUCTION Dying with Dignity Tasmania has been very closely involved in the development of the last three voluntary assisted dying Bills in Tasmania, the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2013, the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2016 and the End of Life Choices (Voluntary Assisted Dying) Bill 2020. This included asking Mike Gaffney if he would be the proponent of the latest Bill and working closely with him for over two years to get to this point where the Bill is close to being passed by both Houses of Parliament. We are aware of the enormous amount of work he did on the Bill, the extent of his consultation with the Tasmanian community and with local, national and international experts and his commitment to making it safe and effective in meeting the needs and wishes of Tasmanians. The significant and valuable role played by DwDTas in relation to the current and past Bills has been acknowledged in past debates and in the current one, eg in Mike Gaffney’s Second Reading speech and other speeches in the debate on the Bill in the Legislative Council, and in a number of Second Reading speeches in the House of Assembly. Our close involvement has been as an organisation and through the personal involvement of Margaret Sing, President for 10 years until mid-2020, who has undertaken the bulk of the research, analysis and preparation of detailed information and advice. This has been backed up by other members of the Committee and active members of DwDTas who have brought to the issue a wealth of relevant professional and personal experience, knowledge and skills, as well as their commitment to legal VAD choice being available to Tasmanians as it is in so many other jurisdictions.
    [Show full text]
  • APRIL 2021 2040 Vision for Our City
    1 A FREE PUBLICATION FOR THE GLENORCHY MUNICIPALITY Independently owned and published by Cor Comms APRIL 2021 2040 vision for our city GLENORCHY City Council has unveiled its Greater Glenorchy Plan, which will transform the CBDs of Glenorchy, Moonah and Claremont into vibrant spaces by 2040. STORY CONTINUES PAGE 2 Artist interpretation of Claremont Green as part of the Glenorchy Precinct Plan’s 2040 vision. Special event to mark 200 years of Royal Hobart Show ONE of Australia’s oldest vintage machinery and a and built our society and stockholders met at a annual events, the Royal historical display. the Show over the last Hobart hotel to form what Hobart Show, will be There will also be a 200 years. was then called the Van marked by a special event release of homing pigeons. “Most of them were vol- Dieman’s Land Agricultur- on the lawns of Parliament The day will celebrate unteers, and that remains al Society, now the Royal House in mid-April. 200 years of agricultural the case today – a striking Agricultural Society of It will be a case of back showing in Hobart. example of the people of Tasmania. to where it all started as “It will be a great the bush and the townies When the first Show the very first Hobart Show holiday experience for chil- in Hobart who, for 200 was held outside Parlia- was held on the same dren,” Royal Agricultural years, thought it important ment House in 1822, lawns in 1822. Society of Tasmania head enough to come together Tasmanian agriculture With the permission of Scott Gadd said.
    [Show full text]
  • Tasmanian Politicians and Councils
    DIRECTORY Tasmanian politicians and Councils EDITION 1 - SEPTEMBER 2020 Incorporating a guide to communicating with your elected representative TASMANIA King Island LOCALTASMANIA GOVERNMENT AREAS CURRIE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS WHITEMARK Grassy Flinders Stanley SMITHTON WYNYARD BURNIE Bridport Dorset Circular Head Penguin George Town ULVERSTONE SCOTTSDALE Devonport Burnie Central Latrobe Coast EXETER ST HELENS SHEFFIELD West Tamar Launceston Waratah-Wynyard Kentish LAUNCESTON Break O‘Day Scamander Deloraine WESTBURY Meander Valley LONGFORD Fingal Rosebery Poatina Northern Midlands Bicheno ZEEHAN Campbell Town Ross Queenstown Swansea Strahan Central Highlands West Coast Glamorgan- Spring Bay OATLANDS Bothwell Southern Midlands Ouse TRIABUNNA Kempton HAMILTON Orford Brighton Maydena NEW NORFOLK Sorell Derwent Valley Clarence Dunalley GlenorchyHobart KINGSTON HUONVILLE Tasman Kingborough Nubeena Cygnet Geeveston Huon Valley Dover Alonnah Brighton Richmond Sorell Clarence ROSNY PARK Glenorchy Hobart KINGSTON Kingborough 2 Local Government Links Click on the following addresses to access each Tasmanian council’s website. Break O’Day | www.bodc.tas.gov.au Brighton | www.brighton.tas.gov.au Burnie | www.burnie.net Central Coast | www.centralcoast.tas.gov.au Central Highlands | www.centralhighlands.tas.gov.au Circular Head | www.circularhead.tas.gov.au Clarence City | www.ccc.tas.gov.au Derwent Valley | www.derwentvalley.tas.gov.au Devonport City | www.devonport.tas.gov.au Dorset | www.dorset.tas.gov.au Flinders | www.flinders.tas.gov.au George
    [Show full text]
  • Tasmanian Electoral Commission Annual Report 2019–20
    Tasmanian Electoral Commission Annual Report 2019–20 Example section 1 TEC Letterhead 21062016WP Page 1 Tasmanian Electoral Commission Level 3 169 Main Road Moonah Tasmania 7009 PO Box 307 Moonah Tas 7009 Phone (03) 6208 8700 Fax (03) 6208 8791 [email protected] www.tec.tas.gov.au Fifteenth Annual Report 2019-20 To The Honourable Craig Farrell, President of the Legislative Council and The Honourable Sue Hickey, Speaker of the House of Assembly We have the honour to submit the fifteenth annual report of the Tasmanian Electoral Commission for presentation to the Parliament pursuant to the provisions of section 13 of the Electoral Act 2004. The report covers the period from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020. Yours sincerely Mike Blake Andrew Hawkey Karen Frost CHAIRPERSON ELECTORAL MEMBER Tasmanian COMMISSIONER Electoral Commission 13 October 2020 Annual Report 2019–20 ISSN 1834-2981 Printed by Mercury Walch Photography by Alastair Bett and Joshua Lamont Design by Sarah Zika This report can be downloaded in pdf format at www.tec.tas.gov.au Example section 1 Table of contents Chairperson’s introduction 4 Recognition 36 Electoral Commissioner’s review 6 Remembering Colin Ball 38 The Tasmanian Electoral Commission 10 Professional development 40 Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic 14 Report on performance 42 2020 Legislative Council elections deferred 16 Financial performance 48 Timeline of election and COVID-19 events 20 Appendices 52 Conducting elections during COVID-19 22 A Appointments, approvals, terminations, 54 determinations and delegations
    [Show full text]
  • Submission to the Utas Review Panel in Relation to the End of Life Choices (Voluntary Assisted Dying) Bill 2020
    SUBMISSION TO THE UTAS REVIEW PANEL IN RELATION TO THE END OF LIFE CHOICES (VOLUNTARY ASSISTED DYING) BILL 2020 JANUARY 2021 INTRODUCTION Dying with Dignity Tasmania has been very closely involved in the development of the last three voluntary assisted dying Bills in Tasmania, the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2013, the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2016 and the End of Life Choices (Voluntary Assisted Dying) Bill 2020. This included asking Mike Gaffney if he would be the proponent of the latest Bill and working closely with him for over two years to get to this point where the Bill is close to being passed by both Houses of Parliament. We are aware of the enormous amount of work he did on the Bill, the extent of his consultation with the Tasmanian community and with local, national and international experts and his commitment to making it safe and effective in meeting the needs and wishes of Tasmanians. The significant and valuable role played by DwDTas in relation to the current and past Bills has been acknowledged in past debates and in the current one, eg in Mike Gaffney’s Second Reading speech and other speeches in the debate on the Bill in the Legislative Council, and in a number of Second Reading speeches in the House of Assembly. Our close involvement has been as an organisation and through the personal involvement of Margaret Sing, President for 10 years until mid-2020, who has undertaken the bulk of the research, analysis and preparation of detailed information and advice. This has been backed up by other members of the Committee and active members of DwDTas who have brought to the issue a wealth of relevant professional and personal experience, knowledge and skills, as well as their commitment to legal VAD choice being available to Tasmanians as it is in so many other jurisdictions.
    [Show full text]
  • Parliament of Tasmania SUBORDINATE LEGISLATION REPORT 8
    (No. 17) 2020 Parliament of Tasmania PARLIAMENTARY JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE SUBORDINATE LEGISLATION REPORT 8 SCRUTINY OF NOTICE ISSUED UNDER SECTION 22 OF THE COVID-19 DISEASE EMERGENCY (MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS) ACT 2020 (RESIDENTIAL TENANCIES) SCRUTINY OF NOTICE ISSUED UNDER SECTION 16 OF THE COVID-19 DISEASE EMERGENCY (MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS) ACT 2020 (POISONS ACT 1971) SCRUTINY OF NOTICE ISSUED UNDER SECTION 16 OF THE COVID-19 DISEASE EMERGENCY (MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS) ACT 2020 (FOOD ACT 1993 and PUBLIC HEALTH ACT 1997) Members of the Committee Ms Tania Rattray MLC (Chair) Ms Alison Standen MP Ms Ruth Forrest MLC (Deputy Chair) Mr Nic Street MP Ms Meg Webb MLC Mr John Tucker MP Table of Contents Introduction...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Notice under Section 22 of the Covid-19 Disease Emergency (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2020 (Residential Tenancies) .......................................................................... 5 Notice under Section 16 of the Covid-19 Disease Emergency (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2020 (Poisons Act 1971) ............................................................................................... 9 Notice under Section 16 of the Covid-19 Disease Emergency (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2020 (Food Act 1993 and Public Health Act 1997) ......... 12 Appendices Notice under Section 22 of the Covid-19 Disease Emergency
    [Show full text]
  • Minutes of Proceedings
    443 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS No. 21 TUESDAY 24 SEPTEMBER 2019 Contents 1 Meeting of the House ....................................................................................................................... 444 2 Hunter Business Awards (Formal Business) ................................................................................... 444 3 Legislation Review Committee––Report ........................................................................................ 444 4 Selection of Bills Committee––Report ............................................................................................ 445 5 Papers––Presented to Parliament out of session ............................................................................ 445 6 Statutory Rules and Instruments tabled by the Clerk ...................................................................... 445 7 Petitions ............................................................................................................................................ 446 8 Notices of motions ........................................................................................................................... 446 9 Written answer to a supplementary question without notice .......................................................... 446 10 Conduct of business––Reproductive Health Care Reform Bill 2019 ............................................. 446 11 Reproductive Health Care Reform Bill 2019 .................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • 2018-19 Annual Report
    Tasmanian Electoral Commission 2018–19 Annual Report The fourteenth report of the Tasmanian Electoral Commission Tasmanian Electoral Commission Tasmanian Electoral Commission Annual Report 2018-19 ISSN 1834-2981 Printed by Mercury Walch Photography by Alastair Bett Photography Layout by Wendy Polzin This report can be dowloaded in pdf format at www.tec.tas.gov.au TEC Letterhead 21062016WP Page 1 Tasmanian Electoral Commission Level 3 169 Main Road Moonah Tasmania 7009 PO Box 307 Moonah Tas 7009 Phone (03) 6208 8700 Fax (03) 6208 8791 [email protected] www.tec.tas.gov.au Fourteenth Annual Report 2018-19 To The Honourable Craig Farrell, President of the Legislative Council and The Honourable Sue Hickey, Speaker of the House of Assembly We have the honour to submit the fourteenth annual report of the Tasmanian Electoral Commission for presentation to the Parliament pursuant to the provisions of section 13 of the Electoral Act 2004. The report covers the period from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019. Yours sincerely Mike Blake Andrew Hawkey Karen Frost CHAIRPERSON ELECTORAL MEMBER COMMISSIONER 26 November 2019 TEC Annual Report 2018-19 i ii TEC Annual Report 2018-19 Contents 01 Chairperson’s Introduction 35 Recognition 37 Election Education in Action Electoral Commissioner’s 03 Review 38 Professional Development & Connections The Tasmanian Electoral 41 Staff Retreat 06 Commission 43 Farewell 07 Functions and Powers 47 Peter Weldon 1955 - 2019 Significant Events of 2018-19 09 Report on Performance 10 Local Government 49 50 Electoral Enrolment
    [Show full text]
  • Voluntary Assisted Dying Research
    Voluntary Assisted Dying Research A Collection of Research Papers Volume 4 Professors Ben White and Lindy Willmott Australian Centre for Health Law Research Faculty of Business and Law Queensland University of Technology [2021] No 3 Addressing Institutional Objections to Voluntary Assisted Dying 1 LEGISLATIVE OPTIONS TO ADDRESS INSTITUTIONAL OBJECTIONS TO VOLUNTARY ASSISTED DYING IN AUSTRALIA BEN P WHITE,* LINDY WILLMOTT,** ELIANA CLOSE*** AND JOCELYN DOWNIE**** Voluntary assisted dying is being considered by parliaments and law reform bodies across Australia. Although individual conscientious objection is routinely considered in these deliberations, an institution’s desire to object to providing voluntary assisted dying has received very little attention. After briefly considering the concept of institutional objection in voluntary assisted dying, this article examines the available (albeit limited) Australian evidence on this practice. Institutional objection is happening in Victoria (where voluntary assisted dying is lawful) and is likely to occur in other Australian states. The article proposes that regulation is needed and presents three models for parliaments and law reformers to consider. The first is ‘conscientious absolutism’, which grants institutions unrestricted ability to object to voluntary assisted dying. The second * Ben P White, LLB (Hons) (QUT), DPhil (Oxford), Professor of End-of-Life Law and Regulation, Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Faculty of Business and Law, Queensland University of Technology. ** Lindy Willmott, BCom (UQ), LLB (Hons) (UQ), LLM (Cambridge), PhD (QUT), Professor, Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Faculty of Business and Law, Queensland University of Technology. *** Eliana Close, BSc (Hons) (Calgary), MA (Oxford), PhD (QUT), Lecturer and Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Faculty of Business and Law, Queensland University of Technology.
    [Show full text]