The Catholic Weekly 27 February 2022

THE NSW Legislative Council inquiry into Independent MLA Alex Greenwich’s proposed eu- thanasia laws has “elected not to take a position on the bill”, after a 4-4 split on the Standing Committee on Law and Jus- tice was resolved by Chair Wes Fang MLC’s casting vote. “It is clear that this is an is- sue with strong and passionate opinions, which are felt deeply by both sides of the debate,” Fang wrote in the report’s fore- word. “Further, it is also clear there is no consensus amongst stakeholders as to the merits of the bill. Indeed, there was no consensus amongst the com- mittee members themselves.” The sole recommendation from the inquiry was an in-ef- fect endorsement of the bill, however, advising that the “Legislative Council proceed to consider the Voluntary As- sisted Dying Bill 2021”. Lou Amato, Scott Farlow and Taylor Martin, from the Liberal Party, and Labor’s Greg Donnelly all opposed the bill, while the Greens’ Cate Faehr- mann, One Nation’s Rod Rob- erts, Labor’s Anthony D’Adam and Committee Chair Wes Fang, of the Nationals, were in support of it proceeding to a vote. The bill’s opponents pro- posed an alternate recommen- dation, which was defeated by the casting vote of the Chair. “In light of the evidence pre- sented to the inquiry, the bill is not and cannot be made safe for the citizens of New South Wales, especially the most vul- nerable,” the dissenting recom- mendation read. “The bill is not fit for the purpose it is intended for; therefore it should not proceed any further in the Legislative Council.” Donnelly’s dissenting report said the “obviously euphemis- tic terminology” of “Voluntary Assisted Dying” was “carefully crafted and highly polished with a single purpose in mind; make what are the harsh reali- ties of the bill palatable”. He nevertheless acknowl- edged that “people on both sides of the assisted suicide and euthanasia debate are well intentioned and believe that they are fighting for the greater good, it is just that they do not agree on what this is”. The other three dissenting reports stressed further con- cerns with the accuracy of pre- dicting the prognosis of people with terminal illnesses, the pressures put on vulnerable people including the elderly and women, and warned once again that NSW will likely fol- low international trends by re- moving safeguards over time. Despite the non-committal recommendation, committee minutes included in the bil l show how the dissenting CONTINUED P2 Euthanasia committee splits NSW legalised killing law proceeds only with casting vote of Parliamentary committee’s Chair ¾ Adam Wesselinoff SUNDAY 27 February, 2022 CatholicWeekly The www.catholicweekly.com.au THE CHURCH. ALL OF IT HSC ACHIEVERS 2021 &OPEN DAYS EILEEN’S NURSES MARK 60 YEARS P12 INSIDE $2 PUBLISHED 3 FEBRUARY 2019 Published 27 February 2022 ACHIEVERS 2021 HSC ... inside your local schools IMAGE: Trinity Catholic College, Auburn Come and visit us! SYDNEYPRAYS for UKRAINE With state and federal MPs in attendance, Ukrainian Catholic priest Fr Simon Ckuj and fellow clergy lead Ukrainian Catholics and supporters in praying for peace in Ukraine at St Andrew’s Church in Lidcombe last Sunday. As The Catholic Weekly went to press on Tuesday, Russia had ‘recognised’ eastern Ukraine’s ‘independence’ and sent in Russian troops as ‘peacekeepers’. PHOTO: A FO K REPORT P4