Euthanasia in Australia

The Rights of the Terminally Ill Bill was passed by the Northern Territory's Lesislative Assembly on 25th May 1995. Nine months later, John Howard had the bill overturned. But now the terminally ill could be granted to right to die because Julia Gillard has backed a conscience vote on restoring the authority of territories to legalise euthanasia. Greens leader Bob Brown promised that his first priority would be to restore the territories' power to pass euthanasia laws. "This won't bring in euthanasia, but it will restore the rights of the territorians to be able to legalise for euthanasia, they'll be given the same rights as the states.

It's been proved that it can be done right. The Dutch Euthanasia Act states that euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are not punishable if the doctor acts in accordance with certain criteria. That criteria is the patient's request, the patient's suffering, the presence of reasonable alternatives, a second doctor's opinion and the proposed method of ending life. After all that doctors have to report intended euthanasia patients to a review committee who have the final say. Some forms of voluntary euthanasia are legal in Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland and some state in the US.

When the Northern Territory bill was overturned, Dr Philip Nitschke was shattered. On 29 March 1997, reporter Jodie Brough wrote: It was a surreal scene. The Senate had just passed Liberal MP Kevin Andrew's private member's bill overturning the Northern Territory's historic euthanasia law and now the man who had helped 4 patients to die, Philip Nitschke was in a raw rage at the Senate door at 1.30am. Surrounded by a huddle of journalists and photographers in the autumn chill, Nitschke branded the Act as now worthless, holding copies of the act and the Andrews bill in shaking hands in a lonely act of defiance. Then he burned them with a cigarette lighter as the cameras clicked. A few of the victorious anti-euthanasia senators came to watch and shook their heads at the bizarre spectacle. Senator Julian McGauran (Nat, Vic) called out "It's all over doctor. Always a stunt."

Philip Nitschke is head of Exit International and has promoted the drug Nembutal as the "peaceful pill" and gives advice to elderly people with a terminal illness or chronic pain on how to end their lives. People can download Exit's instructions from the Peaceful Pill handbook which has been published on line in the USA since the drug was banned in Australia in 2007. But here's the bit to keep us all in line. In Australia, it's illegal to use a phone, fax, email or the internet to discuss or research assisted suicide. Downloading the handbook carries a maximum $110,000 fine but no one has been charged with the offence so far. There is also a 25 year gaol sentence for importing the drug and a $550,000 fine. We all remember what happened when Qantas pilot Graeme Wiley asked for help to die. His wife went to gaol and the long-time friend who went to Mexico to get the drug for him committed suicide rather than face a gaol sentence.

So let's hope that common sense prevails and our pollies make it possible to end the suffering of many. We kill animals don't we?