The VE Bulletin Excerpts
'No price is too high to pay for
the privilege of owning yourself' Rudyard Kipling
Vol 18: No 1 March 2001
Voluntary euthanasia - an election
issue for WA
Arguably the charges raised against Dr Stephens and
others have raised the profile of voluntary euthanasia as an election issue
in WA. Below are excerpts of an article by Amanda Keenan 'Euthanasia
raised on poll agenda' The Australian 1Dec 2000.
The opposition is signaling that it will promote parliamentary debate
on voluntary euthanasia early next year. Democrat upper house MP Norm Kelly's
Voluntary Euthanasia Bill -- first introduced in 1997 but routinely ignored
by the Coalition Government -- may finally get a hearing if Labor is elected
to government.
Mr Kelly's bill allows for a person to end his or her life with medical
assistance, as long as the person has a terminal medical condition. The
patient must be mentally competent and over the age of 18. Under the proposed
VoluntaryEuthanasia Act, anyone who requests or deals with a request
for euthanasia would be protected from criminal prosecution, civil action
or disciplinary action.
'Because the Government has refused to bring the bill on for debate
over the past three years, we will be going to the election with voluntary
euthanasia being an issue,' Mr Kellysaid yesterday. Opposition Leader Geoff
Gallop said he would be happy to see the bill brought on for debate.
'All Labor members of course have a conscience vote on this issue, as
we do indeed with the abortion question, so I would have no problem with
that issue being debated in parliament.' Premier Richard Court is not so
enthusiastic, but Deputy Premier Hendy Cowan has said parliament should
debate the issue of voluntary euthanasia.
13 March 2001
|
