1
00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,200
Speaker 1: You may have heard over the course of the weekend,

2
00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:04,760
Speaker 1: but it probably didn't get as much coverage as what

3
00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:07,800
Speaker 1: you might have expected. There's been a well, there's been

4
00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:11,120
Speaker 1: an announcement by the Northern Territory Government that community consultation

5
00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:13,319
Speaker 1: has begun or it's set to begin, is what I

6
00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:17,000
Speaker 1: should say, to develop a framework for voluntary assisted dying

7
00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:19,799
Speaker 1: in the Northern Territory. So the government's hoping to build

8
00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:23,440
Speaker 1: on prior knowledge and experiences to create a modern framework

9
00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:27,440
Speaker 1: that meets people's needs for accessible and safe care. An

10
00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:30,440
Speaker 1: independent expert advisory panel is going to be set up

11
00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:34,040
Speaker 1: to lead that consultation process, co chaired by the Honorable

12
00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:39,720
Speaker 1: Vicky o'haller and AO and mister Duncan McConnell sc now

13
00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:41,599
Speaker 1: joining me in the studio to talk a little bit

14
00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:44,559
Speaker 1: more about this. So we've spoken about this before. Is

15
00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:47,840
Speaker 1: the Counsel of the Aging here in the Northern Territory CEO,

16
00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:50,480
Speaker 1: Sue Shier. Good morning to you, Sue.

17
00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:52,199
Speaker 2: Good morning, Kadie. What a lovely day it is.

18
00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:54,840
Speaker 1: It's absolutely beautiful out there, it is.

19
00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:56,240
Speaker 2: It's stunning out there now.

20
00:00:56,760 --> 00:00:59,400
Speaker 1: So you and i've spoken about this before and spoken

21
00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:03,440
Speaker 1: about I guess what sort of seemed as though a

22
00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:06,600
Speaker 1: lack of action after the federal government had determined that

23
00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:11,039
Speaker 1: we were able to vote on this ourself and determine

24
00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:13,920
Speaker 1: our own rights here in the Northern Territory, it seems

25
00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:16,040
Speaker 1: to be sort of moving into action though.

26
00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:19,160
Speaker 2: Now, oh look, thank the Lord for that. I mean,

27
00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:23,120
Speaker 2: we lobbied long and hard. We started our petition in

28
00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:27,039
Speaker 2: March or two years ago, and before the Northern Church

29
00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:28,960
Speaker 2: of News, and as I said before, they asked us

30
00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:33,840
Speaker 2: to delay our particular media release because they wanted to

31
00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:37,080
Speaker 2: be first. We thought, well, hopefully we're all in this together.

32
00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:41,920
Speaker 2: And then obviously we did our Parliamentary Committee petition which

33
00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:46,160
Speaker 2: was presented to Mikayla Cash and David Proud, and they

34
00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,400
Speaker 2: wrote back to us and said, no way, Jose. While

35
00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:51,600
Speaker 2: they were in government, they would not even consider it.

36
00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:54,960
Speaker 2: And then Luke Solomon had a private member's bill sitting

37
00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:58,160
Speaker 2: there for two and a half years as well. Yes,

38
00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:04,320
Speaker 2: Luke Solomon, Goslin from Solomon, so yes, So that was actually,

39
00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:08,120
Speaker 2: you know, the Territory Rights Bill that passed. So we

40
00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:10,880
Speaker 2: have been working on this for at least two to

41
00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:15,200
Speaker 2: three years. So the time has come now to actually

42
00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,480
Speaker 2: go out to the obelity of the general public to

43
00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:21,359
Speaker 2: assess it, although we have done a survey and over

44
00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:24,400
Speaker 2: eighty five percent of seniors, but we had a lot

45
00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:28,280
Speaker 2: of calls from, you know, people who aren't classified as

46
00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:31,840
Speaker 2: a senior, who believe that there should be a choice,

47
00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:35,960
Speaker 2: even if you don't want to utilize voluntary sister dying.

48
00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:39,480
Speaker 2: It's all about choice. You might want palliative care, you

49
00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:42,600
Speaker 2: might want hospice, you might want different things, but this

50
00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:46,800
Speaker 2: is just another choice. I have had one older lady

51
00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:48,960
Speaker 2: say to me, oh, you just want to kill all

52
00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:53,520
Speaker 2: the old people. So unfortunately sometimes the scare mongering and

53
00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:57,519
Speaker 2: the perception is totally wrong. And I said to her, look,

54
00:02:57,520 --> 00:02:59,760
Speaker 2: I'm sorry that you've heard that and that you feel

55
00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:03,040
Speaker 2: like but that is definitely not the case, even if

56
00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:05,560
Speaker 2: the one that Marshall board it in ninety ninety five

57
00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:09,000
Speaker 2: was the rights of the terminally ill. So there's no

58
00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:12,480
Speaker 2: way that just because you're old you get a needle.

59
00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:16,640
Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely not. Now, soe we know now that there's

60
00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:21,200
Speaker 1: going to be will two eminent people chairing this chairing

61
00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:25,040
Speaker 1: this independent expert panel. It is the honorable Vicky o'haleran

62
00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:28,160
Speaker 1: and mister Duncan McConnell. It seems as though it's going

63
00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:30,679
Speaker 1: to be led by two really good people who will

64
00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:33,640
Speaker 1: get out there in the community and find out exactly

65
00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:35,040
Speaker 1: what people want exactly.

66
00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:38,760
Speaker 2: They will go around and assess and do all the consultation,

67
00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:42,680
Speaker 2: which is fantastic because people do want to have a say.

68
00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:47,200
Speaker 2: Even maybe the people for religious grounds actually probably don't

69
00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:49,280
Speaker 2: believe in it, but again I would say to them,

70
00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:52,320
Speaker 2: this is about choice. And it was interesting when it

71
00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:56,360
Speaker 2: was last past in ninety five Katie that I was

72
00:03:56,440 --> 00:04:01,360
Speaker 2: talking to Ian McNeil, unfortunately has passed away, who was

73
00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:04,360
Speaker 2: working in the courts back then, and it was a

74
00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:08,240
Speaker 2: very mature debate that he said only got passed by

75
00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:11,040
Speaker 2: one vote in ninety ninety five, and then they had

76
00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:14,040
Speaker 2: but they had submissions from a Vatican, They had submissions

77
00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:17,240
Speaker 2: from all around the world because we were the first

78
00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:21,760
Speaker 2: now unfortunately will be hopefully we will be the last,

79
00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:25,160
Speaker 2: but we'll be the only state or churtary in Australia.

80
00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,600
Speaker 2: Act is moving right along because that's what the rights are.

81
00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:31,520
Speaker 2: The churchy rights is also for them, but they've already

82
00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:35,640
Speaker 2: started consultation, so we would hope from this that obviously

83
00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:39,760
Speaker 2: we can have legislation that can be enacted maybe even

84
00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:43,440
Speaker 2: before or be the sitting there to be enacted before

85
00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:47,640
Speaker 2: the next election, or whoever gets in they can enact

86
00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:48,160
Speaker 2: it as well.

87
00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:50,920
Speaker 1: What are some of the things that you'd like that

88
00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:53,040
Speaker 1: panel to consider, like.

89
00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:56,960
Speaker 2: To consider people's choices and you know, as you said,

90
00:04:57,000 --> 00:05:00,760
Speaker 2: the rights of the terminally ill. I think that you

91
00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:03,599
Speaker 2: do have to have and it can be changed. You

92
00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:06,839
Speaker 2: can modify it if it needs to be extended or

93
00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:09,960
Speaker 2: changes need to be made, but probably the original one.

94
00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:11,800
Speaker 2: I mean, I was here then, I was living in

95
00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:15,960
Speaker 2: Alla Springs when that was past, and it didn't cause

96
00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:20,000
Speaker 2: a lot of controversy then, although I know the bishop's

97
00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:23,440
Speaker 2: lobby long and hard the local members, and I think

98
00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:27,120
Speaker 2: that's what the local members have to remember that it's

99
00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:31,039
Speaker 2: not their personal opinion. They're representing their constituents. It's not

100
00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:36,720
Speaker 2: their religious beliefs either. They're representing their constituents. So that's

101
00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:38,320
Speaker 2: what we have to remember.

102
00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:41,080
Speaker 1: And what are you hoping comes out of this consultation.

103
00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:45,680
Speaker 2: I hope that we can have legislation that enables people

104
00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:51,159
Speaker 2: who are especially terminally ill to choose when and where

105
00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:53,800
Speaker 2: they would like to say goodbye to their loved ones.

106
00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:56,839
Speaker 2: And I guess, as my mum used to say, leave

107
00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:59,880
Speaker 2: this mortal coil, you know, and then they can answer.

108
00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:03,440
Speaker 2: If they are religious people say oh it's suicide. It's

109
00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:05,599
Speaker 2: not up to you. They can answer to their own

110
00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:08,160
Speaker 2: god or belief whatever they choose.

111
00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:10,799
Speaker 1: Now, so tell me, do you think that the government

112
00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:13,479
Speaker 1: is moving fast enough? Because you spoke right at the

113
00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:16,040
Speaker 1: start of this of how long we've taken to get

114
00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:17,160
Speaker 1: to this quiet.

115
00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:23,080
Speaker 2: Yeah, they are, you know. Unfortunately, as we know, governments

116
00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:26,840
Speaker 2: just can't because of cabinet, because of government departments and

117
00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:29,600
Speaker 2: things have to do this and do that, so they

118
00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:32,840
Speaker 2: don't move quickly. But I think with this they are

119
00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:35,640
Speaker 2: moving a little bit quicker than they would normally.

120
00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:38,400
Speaker 1: But still, and my understanding is that they're not going

121
00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:41,480
Speaker 1: to report back until July next year. We know that

122
00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:44,360
Speaker 1: then we go to an election in August next year.

123
00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:46,560
Speaker 1: So I'm assuming that you're hoping to have a commitment

124
00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:49,640
Speaker 1: from both sides of the Parliament, whether it's the government,

125
00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:53,200
Speaker 1: the opposition, and even the Independence You're hoping to have

126
00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:55,120
Speaker 1: a clear idea from all of them that they will

127
00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:56,280
Speaker 1: still forge ahead with this.

128
00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:59,640
Speaker 2: Oh, most definitely, that's what we would ask the opposition

129
00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:03,320
Speaker 2: to come on board with this or don't sit on

130
00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:05,320
Speaker 2: the fence anymore. I mean, you sat on the fence,

131
00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:08,080
Speaker 2: but it was your government that passed it. You know.

132
00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:11,160
Speaker 2: I find that really a little bit of an anomaly obviously,

133
00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:13,800
Speaker 2: but you have to make a decision. The last time

134
00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:17,120
Speaker 2: he went to an election, we asked both sides of

135
00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:19,680
Speaker 2: government and I think there was you know, Terry Mills

136
00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:22,960
Speaker 2: there as well, with you know, his particular part of it.

137
00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:25,480
Speaker 2: The only one that was going to support it back

138
00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:29,760
Speaker 2: then was a Labor party. The cop were very noncommittal.

139
00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:31,880
Speaker 2: They didn't want to commit and neither did you know

140
00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:32,880
Speaker 2: Terry Mills as well.

141
00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:34,800
Speaker 1: They'll have to before the next election.

142
00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:38,560
Speaker 2: Well exactly, they'll have to come out underneath the covers, yep,

143
00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:42,680
Speaker 2: and you know, hopefully represent Territorians.

144
00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:45,600
Speaker 1: Now, so before I let you go, we know that

145
00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:48,720
Speaker 1: it's Senior's Month or the Seniors Month calendar has been released.

146
00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:49,960
Speaker 1: What's planned for the month?

147
00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:52,400
Speaker 2: Oh gosh, you know, there's so much to do. It's

148
00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:55,120
Speaker 2: just wonderful to see. You can go to a Mad

149
00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:58,040
Speaker 2: Hatter's tea party, you know, you can go to criz as,

150
00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:00,840
Speaker 2: you can go dancing, you can go on a crocodile

151
00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:04,240
Speaker 2: cruise and you can go to the high school here

152
00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:08,040
Speaker 2: and have music and a morning tea. There's just all this,

153
00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:12,400
Speaker 2: John know, there is forty one over forty one events

154
00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:14,640
Speaker 2: and it's just wonderful. And that's what we want. We

155
00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:17,280
Speaker 2: want sceniors to connect. We want them to have fun

156
00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:20,200
Speaker 2: after you and I are talking about such a really

157
00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:24,280
Speaker 2: serious topic, let their hair down and try something different,

158
00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:27,640
Speaker 2: but most of all, have fun and connect with other seniors.

159
00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:30,680
Speaker 2: So we really really please with that calendar. It just

160
00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:31,600
Speaker 2: goes to show.

161
00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:33,480
Speaker 1: It looks awesome and it looks like there's so much

162
00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:36,160
Speaker 1: on and I mean so last well, one of the

163
00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:38,120
Speaker 1: last times you and I spoke is, well, we've had

164
00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:40,920
Speaker 1: so many concerns at that time about seniors not feeling

165
00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:43,000
Speaker 1: safe exactly. I mean, a thing's a bit better for

166
00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:44,040
Speaker 1: them at the moment.

167
00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:46,720
Speaker 2: They are at the moment. We've actually given out quite

168
00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:50,240
Speaker 2: a few of our personal safety alarms that we spoke about.

169
00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:53,360
Speaker 2: And the other thing we've organized is Tuesday Talk is

170
00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:57,000
Speaker 2: at Casarina to and a whole lot of not a

171
00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:00,719
Speaker 2: whole lot, but five or six different organizations so they

172
00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:03,520
Speaker 2: can come. Then they'll be coffee with a coppa that's

173
00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:06,680
Speaker 2: on Tuesday the fifteenth, so they can feel safe then.

174
00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:09,480
Speaker 2: So Casarina Square have really come on board because we

175
00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:12,679
Speaker 2: spoke to them about how Senior Is probably don't feel

176
00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:15,400
Speaker 2: as safe as they'd like to shopping there, so hoping

177
00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:17,880
Speaker 2: all the shops obviously, as you can see by the

178
00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:21,600
Speaker 2: Senior's discount book Business Business Directory book that they come

179
00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:24,800
Speaker 2: online with all their discounts. So it's just really fantastic.

180
00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:27,439
Speaker 1: Catherina's sort of done that well, they have with.

181
00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:30,080
Speaker 2: The marketing and then we're do but the police have

182
00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:33,520
Speaker 2: been fantastic with you know, coffee with the copper and

183
00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:36,520
Speaker 2: all those sorts of things, and they'll be and hopefully

184
00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:40,040
Speaker 2: they're the election. The election, the Electoral Commission would also

185
00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:42,440
Speaker 2: like to come to something like that so you know

186
00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:46,920
Speaker 2: everybody is registered before next August, but obviously they have

187
00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:49,520
Speaker 2: to probably go out to more community. But yeah, there's

188
00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:52,080
Speaker 2: so much. There is so much happening, and I have

189
00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:54,440
Speaker 2: to actually give a big thumbs up to all the

190
00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:57,360
Speaker 2: people I work with. They've worked so hard to get

191
00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:00,640
Speaker 2: all those publications out. It's wonderful good stuff.

192
00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:03,240
Speaker 1: Well, Sushira, it's always great to catch up with you.

193
00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:05,920
Speaker 1: Thank you for joining me this morning in the studio.

194
00:10:05,840 --> 00:10:08,200
Speaker 2: Pleasure, Katie. Nice to see your smiling fast.

195
00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:10,480
Speaker 1: I try to smile even when it's busy in here.

196
00:10:10,559 --> 00:10:10,959
Speaker 2: Soon I

197
00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:13,439
Speaker 1: Thank you