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Supplementary Order Paper No 318

No 318

House of Representatives

Supplementary Order Paper

Wednesday, 21 August 2019

End of Life Choice Bill

Proposed amendment to SOP No 259

Paulo Garcia, in Committee, to move the following amendment:

Clause 10

In clause 10(2), replace paragraph (c) (page 10) with:

(c)

the person requesting the option to receiving assisted dying—

(i)

would be a person who is eligible for assisted dying if it were established under section 12 that the person is able to be confirmed as competent, by a medically approved testing method, to make an informed decision about assisted dying; and

(ii)

has afterwards confirmed that decision to the attending medical practitioner.

Explanatory note

This Supplementary Order Paper amends Supplementary Order Paper No 259 amending the End of Life Choice Bill to amend clause 10. It seeks to require a medically approved testing method to confirm the person’s competency, as the bill is silent on any such method—the absence of which opens the door to subjective and even emotional assessments by attending medical practitioners that may not stand scrutiny should queries arise. It is also required that the person confirm their wish afterwards.