Claims made by Labor’s Lara Giddings and the Greens’ Cassy O’Connor about their euthanasia bill are political and wrong.
The Government has never denied them the opportunity to defer their bill. We don’t have that ability anyhow. How and when they use their private members time is entirely their decision.
The Government has been keen to provide an opportunity for the bill to be properly debated which is why we initially agreed to provide extra time today (the date they requested), and then the next available private members time, the following sitting week.
This bill has been sitting in the Parliament since November with no attempt to bring it on for debate.
In my last correspondence I merely confirmed those two dates remained available to them for extra parliamentary time and I did not rule out other dates, other than to indicate I couldn’t guarantee them at this stage.
This is Labor and the Greens’ bill and it is entirely up to them when they bring it on for debate.
It is incredibly disappointing that Labor and the Greens have sought to so blatantly politicise this very sensitive issue.
*The full correspondence trail is available on request
Michael Ferguson, Leader of Government Business in the House of Assembly
