Professor Ben White:

I want to address the issue and the question the Deputy asked about whether assisted dying sits within healthcare in Australia. It does and is seen as part of healthcare and is supervised by medical doctors through eligibility assessments and is seen as healthcare. I see benefits with an approach like that if we are thinking about safety and quality. Medicine and healthcare generally has around it a framework of safety and quality which ensures a certain amount of quality care and by situating assisted dying within it. It provides an opportunity for that to support the safety of it. I also believe there is regulation of health professionals by disciplines, medical councils and so on. Taking it outside of that can also mean we are not having the opportunity to benefit from the existing health regulation which exists.

My final point is on rigorous assessment by trained health professionals.

When that sits within the health setting, you are more likely to get high-quality, consistent decision-making.