He’s the progressive premier whose track record speaks volumes: legalising same-sex adoption; decriminalising medicinal cannabis; making abortion clinics safer for women – and that’s barely even scratching the surface.
But Daniel Andrews is about to face what could arguably be his most divisive social policy challenge yet: giving terminally ill people the option to choose the timing and manner of their death.
Given that for most people voluntary assisted dying is eminently sensible, it is still surprisingly difficult to have a reasoned debate about end-of-life choices.
At the World Federation Conference held in Amsterdam in May this year Dying with Dignity ACT Inc. president compared the ACT Crimes Act legislation with the ACT Human Rights Act legislation to show that the Crimes Act legislation discriminates against those people who wish to die. While it is legal to end one’s own life, the law forces people who wish to make this legal choice into hanging, gassing, drowning themselves as well as retaining the discriminatory language associated with the choice by continuing to call their choice ‘suicide’ and them ‘suicides’.
She has proposed that we need new language to discuss the choice to die. She proposes to call this choice an Elective Death and outlines in the speech following how it would work in practice to make a choice for death that would alleviate the suffering of those who make this choice and those who are forced to endure the long slow process of dying that is forced on us all by the law because politicians refuse to consider any alternative.
As a Belgian social scientist working on the topic of end-of-life care and decision making for the last ten years, a lot of my research has concerned the practice of euthanasia, which my country legalised in 2002 for incurable patients with severe suffering.
As a result of advances in public health and the development of lifesaving medical technology, Australians live longer than ever. Unfortunately the care received near the end of life often does not reflect a person’s values, goals and preferences. Although the majority of Australians say they would prefer to die…
A very moving interview and opinion piece by Peter Short’s cousin Michael about efforts to achieve legislation to permit Physician Assisted Death in Australia. Click to watch video …
Bernard Erica has shared his personal story of suffering on “Australian Story” this week. He is not alone. There are many Australians who face the prospect of unbearable suffering as they progress towards the end of their life, without hope or choice. John Grayson is one of them. Watch this short video about …
Once joined in matrimony, Adele and Victor Stevens now share a garden fence on a quiet suburban street in the Woden Valley. The ageing neighbours have had their share of arguments since meeting in high school, marrying and separating, but they’re both certain of one thing. They want to control…
I am a medical specialist with advanced cancer. In a career begun more than 35 years ago, I have seen death in all its guises: in homes, at the roadside, in the emergency department, intensive care, operating theatres and on hospital wards. There has been no age limit on these experiences.…
For as long as the blue-eyed Shaw sisters can remember, they knew their parents planned to one day take their own lives.
Dying with Dignity groups may have seemed to have been operating quietly in 2015 but activities have been occurring everywhere. The most promising for Australia is the Victorian Parliamentary Enquiry into End of Life Affairs in Victoria. This enquiry has turned out to be one of the most significant in…
The new CMA policy and other action of the Canadian Medical Association related to voluntary assisted dying provide an example of responsible, professional and principles-based policy and action which should be emulated by the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and other medical groups in Australia. The CMA policy and other related…
