Keira MP Ryan Park’s views on what constitutes a dignified death were formed well before his days as a politician, when he watched his grandmother suffering for seven years.
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Which is why, when it was last week revealed that a voluntary assisted dying bill was expected to come before Parliament this year, he decided to make his personal views on voluntary euthanasia clear to his electorate.
“I was about 17 or 18 when my close grandmother had a stroke,” he said. “She was in a nursing home for about seven years, not able to speak, not able to communicate. I visited her regularly, my parents visited her a lot – it was very difficult to see someone who you loved and cared for go through that.
“I know she wouldn’t have wanted that, it made me angry and upset, and from that point on, I took an interest in this policy area.”
Last week, Fairfax Media reported that a cross-party working group was finalising draft legislation on voluntary assisted dying and that it intended to release it for public consultation as early as next month.
If it comes before parliament, MPs would likely be granted a conscience vote.
Mr Park said he believed any bill introduced would be able to ensure appropriate safeguards and medical technology were in place, and announced he would support what he dubbed the “Dying with Dignity Bill”
“I am of the strong belief that this legislation is long-overdue,” he said.
“What I want to see is a person with a terminal illness, who is experiencing pain and distress, having the right to request assistance from a medical practitioner to end their life with dignity.”
“By ensuring we have the correct safeguards in place and that a person’s individual situation is carefully assessed we can proceed down a path that enables someone to seek assistance to end ongoing pain and suffering.”
Mr Park said he hoped speaking out would prompt a sensitive discussion in the community, but was unsure if there was an appetite for change within the parliament.
For instance, NSW Labor Party leader Luke Foley last week said he would vote against moves legalise voluntary euthanasia.
Other Illawarra MPs were not as forthcoming as Mr Park, but all indicated they would be inclined to support a bill which put in place appropriate safeguards.
Kiama MP Gareth Ward said he wanted to consult his community before making “an informed decision”.
However, he said he believed there was “a strong argument, with appropriate safeguards, that if people feel they are never going to recover and they are going to suffer I can fully understand why many people feel that is an appropriate position for the government to adopt”.
“As I have with any other conscience vote, I look forward to hearing from my community,” he said.
Labor MPs Anna Watson and Paul Scully both took a similar approach to Mr Ward, saying they would consult with their constituents but remained open to the new laws.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
