Meeting of the Parliament 17 March 2026 [Draft]
It has been said many times during this stage 3 debate that we are dealing with the most important decision that we, as parliamentarians, have taken, and I want to thank Liam McArthur and all his team for the way in which we have taken the bill through Parliament.
The decision that we make this evening will profoundly change the very fabric of our society and we should all consider that carefully when it comes to decision time.
Disabled people are frightened, and I ask my colleagues to put themselves in their shoes and my shoes. Imagine that you relied on your family and friends to make daily sacrifices to help you to get up, dress and be ready for the day. Imagine that you had been told by many people, including a number of politicians, that you were a burden on society and that the benefits that you rely on to survive could be better spent elsewhere. I want you to imagine that, on numerous occasions, you have heard the words, “I’d rather die than live like you.” How do you think you would feel, watching this debate? I think you would, rightly, feel terrified.
I know that those on the other side will say that the bill will affect only those with terminal illness, but, as we have seen time and again in other jurisdictions, the bill would mark the beginning of the story but not the end. Take Jersey, for instance. Its bill was passed not even a month ago and there have already been attempts to broaden the criteria by which someone there becomes eligible for an assisted death.
In passing the bill, we would be opening a Pandora’s box and the effects on the most vulnerable people in our society would be devastating. Despite what we have heard from those on the other side of the debate, there can be no meaningful protection against coercion and we cannot legislate against the feeling of being a burden. We cannot legislate for the throwaway comments that make me and others feel that our lives are worth less.
I am very fortunate. I have had a loving family. I have a superb wife and loving children who would never let me go through that, even if I was at a low point, but many in our country are not so fortunate. The protections in the bill are not good enough and can never be good enough.
Colleagues—friends—I am begging you to consider what the consequences of passing the bill would be for the most vulnerable in our communities. Do not let the final act of this session of Parliament be a disappointment to them and to future generations.