WEST Australian Premier Mark McGowan says a report on voluntary assisted dying is “persuasive but not binding” and his government’s draft legislation may have some differences.
A 13-member expert panel has made 31 recommendations for the government to consider, but the report has been criticised by the AMA as being more liberal and dangerous than Victoria’s laws.
Mr McGowan said he didn’t agree with that assessment, insisting the panel balanced a range of interests and made safeguards its priority.
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The premier said drafting of the legislation would begin soon, but he would not reveal whether he accepted all of the report’s recommendations.
“You’ll see if there’s any nuancing of the report,” he told reporters on Friday.
“The report is persuasive but not binding.
“While I respect and appreciate the work that was done, the drafting process may well have some differences compared to the report.”
The panel recommends a person over the age of 18 and ordinarily living in WA will be eligible for voluntary assisted dying if death is reasonably foreseeable within 12 months.
A person must have decision-making capacities and make three requests, including one in writing witnessed by two people who will not benefit financially from their death.
Two medical practitioners will also be required to assess the person and be independently satisfied they meet the criteria.
Asked whether his government would drop the reasonably foreseeable death time frame to six months, as Victoria did, Mr McGowan said he did not want to pre-empt the result of the legislation drafting process.
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