Six years ago Dying with Dignity ACT Inc. was a branch of the Voluntary Euthanasia Society of New South Wales. Many things have changed since then.
Now Dying with Dignity ACT Inc. is a not for profit organization that in 2012 became a separate organization from Dying with Dignity NSW. We have 180 members. We are managed by a volunteer committee whose composition has varied over the last 6 years. The most recent committee voted in at the last AGM has eight members. Over the last 6 years the committee has;
- minuted meetings from this time including committee meetings which we have held every two months each year
- maintained accounts for the organization
- maintained and built a data base of members
- organized general meetings with speakers each year on a range of matters including organ donation, respecting patients’ choices, statistics on polls held on the issue of voluntary euthanasia and Enduring Power of Attorney, dementia and the law
- lobbied local and Federal politicians by letter and in person
- organized forums with local and national speakers of note
- written to Chief Minister Jon Stanhope about possible means of dealing with assisted dying through involving the Director of Public prosecutions rather than legal penalties
- written submissions to a wide range of federal and local bodies
- attended national and international conferences and represented the ACT’s interests
- maintained contact with all DWD and VES organizations and Your Last Right.com
- become members of local groups such the Council of The Ageing, the ACT Health Care Consumers Association
- informed ourselves about legislation on assisted dying in other countries
- developed recommendations for legislative changes that we think are needed in the ACT in relation to assisted dying.