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

Guest speaker at the July 2003 general meeting was the Hon Gail Gago MLC who spoke passionately about the formation of her views supporting choice for voluntary euthanasia. Ms Gago was elected to the Legislative Council in March 2002 and is a presiding member of the Social Development Committee. Prior to this she held several positions with the Australian Nursing Federation, including eight years as Secretary, two years as Assistant Secretary and three years as an organiser. Gail has been a registered nurse in a wide range of clinical settings for over 20 years.

In discussing her views she commended the work of SAVES, and spoke of the widespread respect shown for the way the society seeks to achieve its aims, irrespective of whether or not its views are always shared. She was not always a supporter of voluntary euthanasia due to her strong Catholic family background, and what she considers to be an initial unreflective acceptance of the sanctity of life doctrine.

This was eventually challenged by her nursing role. Ms Gago claimed that her move to a supportive position on voluntary euthanasia was inevitable. There was little sense of conflict due to 'overwhelming obviousness' of the need to respond to suffering, based on our shared humanity.

It is a well-known fact that both nursing and medical practitioners engage in both voluntary and non-voluntary euthanasia. However views are not uniformly shared on the issue, and clinical experiences can lead to strongly held and polarised views.

Ms Gago recalled traumatic instances of withdrawing treatment, and reminded the audience that while this particular form of hastening death is legal, it does not guarantee a quick death. It is not surprising therefore that staff take matters into their own hands. However such decisions necessarily remain covert. This is both dangerous and morally corrupt. It is also a terrible and unfair responsibility to place on individual nurses and doctors who respect the expressed need for a dignified death. Ms Gago also maintains that patients should not have to rely on the 'luck of the draw' as to which staff member may be attending them.

Gail gave due credit to the provisions granted in the Consent to Medical Treatment and Palliative Care Act 1995 and also praised the standard of palliative care in this state. Both go a long way to assisting many people at the end of life. She reminded the audience that the role of the nurse is to both care and advocate for patients, and Gail's role in the Nursing Federation was to implement policy to this end.

Amid controversy, many battles and 'small steps', a policy position was finally adopted in 1997 to lobby government for decriminalisation of voluntary euthanasia. The adoption of this policy was from a necessarily defensive position, due to the difficulties faced over issues of representation in a diverse membership. However future policy deliberations may not need to be so defensive. SAVES sincerely appreciates Ms Gago's support and hard work in her parliamentary role, where she continues to advocate for the hopelessly and terminally ill; those she served for many years in the nursing profession.