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The VE Bulletin Excerpts
Timeline: voluntary euthanasia legislation in SA.
Many SAVES members who have only recently joined may not be aware of the legislative activity supported by the society over the last 12 years. The following information has been compiled as a summary:
1995: A Voluntary Euthanasia Bill was presented to the lower house by Hon John Quirke but interrupted by ending of parliamentary terms and the election. It was supported 13-31. Following consideration by a Parliamentary Select Committee which enquired into the law and practice relating to death and dying, choice for voluntary euthanasia was rejected, but the debate led to the passing of the Consent to Medical Treatment and Palliative Care Act 1995.
1996: Hon Anne Levys 1996 Voluntary Euthanasia Bill in the upper house included a substantial second reading debate for six months and was then referred to a Select Committee. It was proposed that the Bill be amended to require a referendum to be held before coming law, in the event that it was eventually passed by both houses. Hon Sandra Kanck proposed a referendum on voluntary euthanasia in the upper house. In October1997 the Bill lapsed due to the election. There were 3000 written submissions but no oral submissions taken at the time. Anne Levy retired and Carolyn Pickles in the Legislative Council moved that the Select Committee, and later the Social Development Committee, be established to consider the submissions and also take oral submissions.
1999: The Social Development Committee tabled its report with 11 recommendations. Only two of these referred specifically to the Bill and nine related to issues around palliative care. It was recommended that voluntary euthanasia and physician assisted suicide remain criminal offences, and that the lapsed Bill not be introduced. This was reported in the March 2000 VE Bulletin.
2000: The Dignity in Dying Bill was presented in both houses in November by Hon Sandra Kanck and Hon Dr Bob Such.
2001: In March the Bill was voted into committee stage ten votes to nine, but was dismantled by a strategy of voting against the objects of the Act(or its objectives) by 12 votes to 9.
2002: The Dignity in Dying Bill 2002 was presented in the upper house by Sandra Kanck. It was voted into the committee stage nine votes to eight where the first three clauses were accepted, but the Bill was then railroadedby thirteen votes to nine.
2003: The Dignity in Dying Bill 2002 was presented to the lower house by Hon Dr Bob Such and then adjourned.
2006: The Voluntary Euthanasia Bill 2006 was presented by Bob Such. After the pro-roguing of parliament interrupted the process in early 2007 Dr Such presented the bill again, entitled the Voluntary Euthanasia Bill 2007.
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