New laws allowing voluntary assisted dying in Queensland were passed by parliament last week.

Member for Cook Cynthia Lui was one of the supporters of the legislation, which was a conscience vote for Labor and LNP politicians.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk paid tribute to members of parliament for the dignified manner in which the bill was debated and the historic conscience vote that enabled it to pass.

“This is a deeply personal matter and we have heard the moving stories that prompted members to vote in the way they have,” the Premier said.

“We got to this point after years of consultation with the people of this state and expert advice. It was not rushed.

“Queenslanders will now have a choice that I know many families wish they had.”

Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the state government was boosting palliative care funding by $171 million over five years, taking annual investment to $250 million, so Queenslanders could have the very best, holistic care at the end of their life.

“Good palliative care starts the day a patient is diagnosed and will increase in intensity over time and as death approaches,” Mr Miles said.

“But for the very small number of people whose suffering cannot be eased, voluntary assisted dying should be available at that person’s request.

“These laws are fundamentally about compassion.

“But they are also about giving back control to people who have had their autonomy stripped from them by illness.

“It comes after decades of advocacy by passionate citizens, themselves carrying the trauma of having watched relatives die in pain or facing a traumatic death themselves.

“I am grateful to those MPs on both sides who expressed their support for the Bill.

“I’m also grateful to those who expressed their opposition to the Bill. While we respectfully disagree, I believe the debate has been richer for their contributions.”

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said Queensland Health would be putting in place the complex clinical and administrative arrangements for the scheme’s implementation.

Queensland is the fifth Australian state to make voluntary assisted dying legal.

To be eligible for voluntary assisted dying a person must meet all five criteria. They must:

• Have an eligible condition;
• Have decision-making capacity in relation to voluntary assisted dying;
• Be acting voluntarily and without coercion;
• Be aged at least 18 years;
• Fulfil residency requirements.

This article appeared in Cape York Weekly, 21 September 2021.