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

This second EXIT conference was generously supported by the NSW Voluntary Euthanasia Society and featured speakers from Australia, the USA and New Zealand.

Dr Philip Nitschke warmly welcomed the 170 participants and Professor Peter Baume AO, Patron NSW Voluntary Euthanasia Society, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, and past federal liberal Minister for Health, opened the sessions. He pointed out that the voluntary euthanasia societies (VES) and EXIT follow two different approaches toward law reform, where each can, and does, respect the other.

Later in the conference Professor Baume raised an interesting point when he explained the difference between 'issue logic', which we follow, and 'electoral logic', which members of parliament follow in order to gain re-election. He said that perhaps change would come through court rulings because lawyers are required to look at the merits of issues. Of course this is what we also require of our lawmakers, but the reality is that many of them often are reluctant to do this or represent the large majority of voters who want voluntary euthanasia legislation. This is because they may then lose the votes of the 8-10% minority that oppose legislation.

Dr Chris Tennant, prominent psychiatrist and academic then spoke, quoting research showing that when depressed, patients were asked to consider that they had a hypothetical terminal illness, with 55% claiming they would want euthanasia or suicide. However, when they were treated for the depression, 30% still said they would choose these options. This is very significant in the argument for law reform.

Professor Stewart Dunn, Professor of Psychological Medicine at the University of Sydney, informed us about doctors breaking bad news to patients, and an innovative training course which stresses the necessity for empathy, rapport and humour in a problem based learning and role playing approach.

The Hon. Ian Cohen, Greens MLC NSW then spoke thanking the long term voluntary euthanasia advocates and informing us of his planned voluntary euthanasia trial referendum bill which would allow a legal, medically supervised trial of voluntary euthanasia for 18 months. He emphasised the fact that those who are opposed to law reform are extremely ruthless in pushing dishonest debate.

Dr Dick Macdonald, Medical Director of Hemlock, the largest voluntary euthanasia organisation in the USA, informed us of the Caring Friends programme established in 1998, in which trained volunteers sit with a terminally or hopelessly ill Hemlock member when they end their life. Surely it is everyone’s right to have a friend at the end. Dick was invited to impart his particular expertise in light of the possible establishment, by EXIT, of Nancy’s Caring Friends programme.

The conference was then privileged to hear Lesley Martin’s story about her mother’s intense suffering and eventual slow death from bowel cancer, documented in a book entitled "To Die Like a Dog". Lesley is currently on bail, awaiting trial on a charge of attempted murder of her mother, and she spoke sincerely and honestly about the horrors of her situation.

Eminent Queensland barrister, Terry O’Gorman QC, now acting pro bono for the 21 people who sat with Nancy Crick when she died, spoke about the courts being forced to cope as parliament refuses or fails to act. He pointed out that we are in a minority of one in not having a Bill of Rights. Kep Enderby QC, past Federal Labor Attorney General and current President of NSW VES, then spoke, maintaining that voluntary euthanasia legislation is inevitable and that such a legal trial period is a different approach.

Ken Buckley from the NSW Council of Civil Liberties gave new information to some of us, I’m sure, when he said that one has the right to decline to speak to the police or accompany them to the police station unless charged with a crime. He also proposed a motion about engaging in acts of civil disobedience, as per the actions of 'Nancy’s 21'. This motion was passed, and is to be enacted at the discretion of the voluntary euthanasia societies.

David Williams, a representative from People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) informed us about the tragic spread of this disease and its social consequences. He was raising funds for South African women so affected, by selling beaded brooches that the women make as a means of some payment towards their medical treatment.

At the conference dinner Derryn Hinch interviewed three accused 'murderers', Lesley Martin, Ralph Vincent and Fred Thompson who spoke most eloquently and poignantly about their experiences. They have all made public their support of loved ones in gaining final relief from their intolerable suffering; support which has seen them being investigated by the police.

The Bob Dent Award, established in honour of the first person to use the now overturned Northern Territory Rights of the Terminally Ill Act, was presented to John Edge, convenor of the Gold Coast support group for the Qld VES and leader of 'The 21'. John had publicly declared his presence at Nancy’s side soon after her death and he is a most worthy recipient of the award.

Dr Nitschke opened his talk "Practicalities: the peaceful pill and beyond" positively, by saying he would fight very hard to support voluntary euthanasia legislation, and that we all must support it. He claimed that legislation is to be striven for but something is needed now, and EXIT is working to meet this need. Philip pointed out that the fight for law reform is not restricted to a state approach, even though voluntary euthanasia legislation is a state issue, because the Federal Government is also involved. For instance their overturning of the NT law and their restrictions on voluntary euthanasia laws in Australia’s other territories, their restrictions on the importation and exportation of devices relating to suicide, and their proposed laws about curtailing suicide information on the internet are all cases in point. It was agreed that the latter two are a direct attempt to control Dr Nitschke's activities, and a motion calling on the Federal Government to repeal the first was passed by the conference.

As a participant of the concluding panel discussion on new directions for voluntary euthanasia, I spoke firstly in response to an earlier statement, to assure those present that SAVES does not feel there is a rift in the movement. I explained that a rift is caused by failure in communication, disrespect, and anger, and I'm sure the importance of securing respectful working relationships within the movement is acknowledged by all of us as being most essential to the achievement of our common goal. Within this unity, diversity of approach can be a strength.

The great value of regular meetings for all of us in the voluntary euthanasia movement cannot be underestimated. Throughout the conference I felt very heartened by the mutual acceptance and respect that was evident in our interactions. Facilitated so ably by EXIT and the NSW VES in Sydney this year, and to be jointly convened by EXIT and the QLD VES in Brisbane 2005, these conferences enable an understanding and appreciation of each other’s work and successes.

In explaining SAVES future strategies for law reform I said that we were fortunate in having the Consent to Medical Treatment and Palliative Care Act since 1995, and that a fifth voluntary euthanasia bill is currently before our parliament. We are heavily committed to supporting the Dignity in Dying Bill and, even if this is not successful, we are extremely fortunate in having committed members of parliament, such as the Hon Sandra Kanck MLC, who are dedicated to introducing other such bills until common sense and compassion prevails.

We are very appreciative of EXIT’s Deliverance news service, to the extent that we support it with donations. I concluded by saying that I feel we are all very fortunate in having two parallel approaches to law reform. The undoubted success of this conference is a credit to the dedicated work of both EXIT and the NSW VES. The following was written in the conference programme: " The conference aims to bring together people with diverging views and attitudes to VE from all states of Australia and overseas so that a useful exchange of ideas can take place." This aim was magnificently accomplished by all of the participants.

Frances Coombe