SAVES is not affiliated with Exit International / Dr Philip Nitschke and opposes the public availability of a 'peaceful pill'.

It is with pleasure that I present my eighth and final report. It is certainly with a sense of relief that I am able to 'hand over the reins' to Frances Coombe. Frances has been vice president for several years so it is with complete confidence that I pass that responsibility to her and will now assume the role of vice president. I was able to undertake the President's role for so long and remain at the same time as President of the World Federation only because of the help, support and caring which I knew I would receive from the committee, to which there will now be some changes. We have not really said goodbye to Bill Mettyear and Eric Gargett, for although they have left the committee, they are still remaining on the Task Force, a decision for which we are both relieved and grateful. This role is a 'brain storming' one, bringing ideas to the committee for consideration.

Unfortunately our minutes secretary, Margaret Deacon, was unable to re-nominate and leaves with our thanks and best wishes. We now warmly welcome Lesley Harriss to the role. Our award winning web-site is now in the expert hands of former committee member Brenda Aynsley who answered our call in the VE Bulletin.

Before I started to write my report I looked at all the VE Bulletins, right back to 1984, for events of special mention. However there were too many to contemplate. Of recent importance however is that the Social Development Committee, which was given the brief by the Legislative Council to consider the 'Levy Bill', made a disgraceful and irresponsible report, which took scant regard of the bill. Instead it made glaringly obvious suggestions about palliative care, and went so far as to deny colleagues the right to discuss the bill, by not returning it to the floor of parliament. This was a complete denial of the democratic rights of our individual representatives in parliament, and thus our rights.

It bewilders and disheartens us that the 75% of citizens who support voluntary euthanasia are so passive and accepting of such things. Why is there no protest by people who live in a democracy? It can only be put down to complete apathy, and it certainly makes our task harder as it plays right into the hands of our opponents who maintain there is no will for change in the community. The answer my friends is not 'blowin' in the wind' but squarely in your court. We hope that you will 'pull out all stops' to support the bill, as we can be sure that the MPs will be inundated with letters against it.

Seven years ago our guest speaker at our 10^th anniversary was Professor Helga Kuhse who predicted that in ten years time there would be a voluntary euthanasia bill enacted somewhere nationally or internationally. As you know, we had the 'Quirke Bill' in 1995. At the same time the NT Rights of the Terminally Ill Act was proclaimed, only to be overturned by the Christian Coalition, aided and abetted by Federal Parliament.

Next came the 'Levy Bill', then Oregon became the first state in the USA to legalise physician- assisted suicide for terminally ill people. Many who got the drugs did not need to use them, as their dying process was acceptable to them. There is no evidence of abuse or difficulty and the deaths were quick and peaceful. The Swiss continue in their own quiet way to allow assisted suicide, which has been permitted for over one hundred years. This year has seen voluntary euthanasia legalised in the Netherlands, and in Belgium a bill is making it way slowly through parliament. Ian Cohen a Greens Senator in NSW has announced that he will introduce a voluntary euthanasia bill very soon, while Norm Kelly, a WA Democrat who was to re-present his bill, lost his seat at the last election.

With the advent of the Dignity in Dying Bill 2001 we decided to again contact the AMA at federal and state level concerning their inconsistent stance on therapeutic abortion and voluntary euthanasia. All we ask for is that doctors be able to make their own decisions together with their patients, in the best interest of their patients.

While there is still much work to be done it is with a glimmer of hope for the future that I conclude my final report.

This is an edited version of a report presented by Mary Gallnor at the March 2001 AGM