Paul Gabrielides is not deterred by naysayers who think his chances of being elected to the NSW Upper House are slim.
The Winmalee resident has announced he will stand for the Voluntary Euthanasia Party in next March’s state election, fulfilling a promise he made to his wife Anne, who died in January, just 18 months after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
As number two on the party’s ticket, Mr Gabrielides’ fate will be decided by the vagaries of the Upper House’s optional preferential voting system where results are notoriously difficult to predict.
“I’m quietly predicting that we’ll get two spots. I’ve been called a lot of things – including naive and very optimistic – but we are hell bent on getting two spots,” he said.
The former St Columba’s High School teacher decided to stand for office after NSW Parliament failed to pass the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2017 last year, which would have given terminally ill NSW residents over the age of 25 the right to end their own lives with medical assistance.
“It was very much [motivated by] a frustration that I couldn’t affect change from the outside, so I decided to have a tilt a politics,” he said.
He hopes to start a conversation not just about voluntary euthanasia but also palliative care, occupational therapy and improving access to health services in rural areas.
The long-time Mountains resident has been buoyed by support he has received from his local community.
“People have left messages in my letterbox, they have left voicemails and emails, all kinds of things. It’s been absolutely wonderful,” he said. “Even the Catholic community around St Columba’s and the Blue Mountains has been absolutely awesome, [and] very supportive and wanting to know what they can do to help me.”
Mr Gabrielides isn’t underestimating the challenge but feels confident if he can raise the issue in the public’s mind, the votes will follow. As well as campaigning around the state, the party will spread its message by hosting a series of webinars.
“It’s just a matter of getting out there and getting conversations started… If I can disrupt what the status quo is with NSW politics, then so be it.”
The party’s ticket will be led by Shayne Higson, the vice-president of right-to-die advocacy group Dying with Dignity.
Ms Higson led the party's first attempt to enter NSW politics in 2015, and also unsuccessfully contested the Senate at the two most recent federal elections. One week after the NSW bill failed, Victoria passed assisted dying legislation.
- with Lisa Visentin
