› Nick Butterly
WA’s Catholic bishops have dramatically stepped up their resistance to the State Government’s push to legalise voluntary euthanasia, suggesting Catholic-run hospitals will never allow assisted dying.
In a joint statement yesterday, the State’s seven bishops also warned that once legislated, the laws could be expanded to allow the killing of those who are not “imminently dying”.
“If one government today claims it can legislate an initial breach in the universal prohibition on killing, it would have to acknowledge the capacity of another government tomorrow to legislate further breaches,” the bishops said.
“This kind of ‘legislated bracket creep’ has occurred elsewhere.
“And we already know that pressure will certainly be brought to bear on a future WA government to broaden these laws, as local advocates for voluntary assisted dying have clearly stated.”
The State Government will introduce a Bill next year to allow euthanasia, with MPs to be allowed a conscience vote.
The passage of the Bill will likely be decided by a few votes in the Upper House.
The bishops said Catholic health, aged-care, disability and social service providers in WA would always provide high-quality compassionate care. “We will not provide death, or support the provision of death, as a treatment for suffering,” they said.
The Catholic Church administers seven hospital campuses in WA under St John of God Health Care. It runs many aged-care homes in the State.
Among the signatories to the statement are Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, the Emeritus Archbishop of Perth Barry Hickey and the Auxiliary Bishop of Perth Don Sproxton.
A poll in The Weekend West found 86 per cent of people wanted assisted dying made legal.