Voluntary assisted dying discussed

Valuable discussion on end-of-life programs

State Member for Caloundra Mark McArdle recently hosted a community information session on palliative care and voluntary assisted dying.

He thanked everyone who took the time to attend as well as the guest speakers - Shyla Mills, CEO of Palliative Care Queensland, and Jos Hall, president of Dying with Dignity Queensland - who he said provided invaluable insight on their respective topics and answered all question posed to them by attendees.

Mr McArdle said these were not easy topics to hear and speak about but they were significant as this was a stage of life we must all face some day.

“The community needs to be given the opportunity to learn more about what the current laws are and what changes to the legislation might mean for them. They need to be able to do so in both a safe and informative setting,” he said. “

We also heard from Kelly Gourlay, the national policy advisor for Palliative Care Queensland, David Muir, the chairman of the Clem Jones Trust, and many other members of the community.

“Based on the feedback I was given on the day, I believe we all came away with a lot of new knowledge about palliative care, voluntary assisted dying and end-of-life programs in other states and countries.

“The morning was not about having a debate but providing an opportunity to learn from each other.

“I think that we achieved that but, of course, this conversation is certainly not the last,” Mr McArdle said.