Submission to Senate Inquiry into Exposure Draft of the Medical Services (Dying with Dignity) Bill 2014
CHA lodged this submission, dated 29 August 2014, to the Senate Select Committee’s Inquiry into the Medical Services (Dying with Dignity) Exposure Draft Bill 2014. In compiling the submission, CHA sought legal opinion advising whether enactment of the Bill would be a valid exercise of the legislative power of the Commonwealth on any of the three bases proposed by the Bill. This legal opinion was included in CHA’s submission, however due to the size of the document, only the title/contents page is included in the copy of the submission found here. The submission supports that it is a moral imperative that the Government and Parliament provide adequate resources to relieve suffering rather than contemplate considering the introduction of the Draft Bill. The submission includes information on palliative care. CHA representatives appeared before the Senate hearing on the draft Bill on 15 October 2014. Click here to read the submission.