The bill, which bore some striking similarities to the South Australian model of MPs Parnell and Key, was the subject of an organised and intense lobbying campaign which included postcard drops to letter boxes across Scotland.MacDonald criticized the content of this literature claiming it 'caused alarm among frail, elderly and disabled people' and referring to it as a 'catalogue of linguistic contortions'.  If recent experiences in Australia are anything to go by, I'd be fairly confident that MacDonald's opponents might make the same observations. Continue reading

  Both the more serious smear attempt and this one prove to me the effectiveness of the HOPE network.My reply to the editor was not published. Shared here for your enjoyment: Continue reading

Last evening (24th November) the South Australian Parliament's upper house debated the latest euthanasia bill from Greens MLC, Mark Parnell. At the State Election in March of this year changes in personnel in the upper house appeared to have turned that chamber decidedly pro-euthanasia.  However, last night common sense prevailed yet again as the bill was defeated at the second reading 'on the voices'.Mr. Parnell did not call for a recording of the votes.  However, from the speeches given, it was clear that the chamber was split 12 to 9 against the bill or possibly 13 to 8 at best. Continue reading

Twists and turns: At the eleventh hour in the SA euthanasia debates the Health Minister the Hon John Hill MP has entered the fray today claiming that the Parnell/Key model of legislation is "flawed", "clunky", "bureaucratic" and difficult to implement. Clearly favouring a different model that would provide an exception under the Criminal code to protect doctors from prosecution for an act of euthanasia, Minister Hill nevertheless, has expressed significant reservations about the Parnell/Key model.The Parnell Bill is due for debate on the 24th of November.  Parnell's earlier bill that was rejected last year was also exposed for its errors during the debate last year.  For instance, that bill would have allowed dentists to kill people! Continue reading

  Last evening (24th November) the South Australian Parliament's upper house debated the latest euthanasia bill from Greens MLC, Mark Parnell.At the State Election in March of this year changes in personnel in the upper house appeared to have turned that chamber decidedly pro-euthanasia.  However, last night common sense prevailed yet again as the bill was defeated at the second reading 'on the voices'. Continue reading

  Clearly favouring a different model that would provide an exception under the Criminal code to protect doctors from prosecution for an act of euthanasia, Minister Hill nevertheless, has expressed significant reservations about the Parnell/Key model.The Parnell Bill is due for debate on the 24th of November.  Parnell's earlier bill that was rejected last year was also exposed for its errors during the debate last year.  For instance, that bill would have allowed dentists to kill people! Continue reading

Erik Leipoldt, Adjunct Lecturer from the Centre for Research into Disability and Society at WA's Curtin University has provided what I would call, "expert testimony" on the relationship between euthanasia and disability. Described by MercatorNet as, "One of the most eloquent voices on euthanasia in Australia". Dr Leipoldt is also a quadriplegic. His paper Euthanasia in Australia: Raising a disability voice is a 'must read' for all politicians as well as those involved in public policy.The Australian euthanasia debate is inviting us to conclude that lives lived with disability are often not worth living, while actual disability experience points to a contrary reality.  Disability voices and perspective are seldom heard but are essential ingredients of a fully informed debate.  Their experience shows that there is a social context within which requests for euthanasia arise, which calls for the best possible care and support.  Set in that context, it is not possible to build any effective safeguards against euthanasia. Continue reading

  This follows upon a series of other blows to the pro-euthanasia movement internationally and here at home.  Successive defeats in Canada, Tasmania and Western Australia send a clear message that western societies, in the main, understand the problems associated with the practice of euthanasia and assisted suicide and are prepared to act for the protection of every citizen even in the face of polling to the contrary.The Scottish Parliamentary committee looking into the euthanasia bill proposed by Scottish Independent MP, Margo MacDonald, has ruled 'no case made for law change' on euthanasia and assisted suicide, yesterday (18th November 2010). Continue reading

  It interests me to note that some Senators are clearly focusing on the 'Restoring Territory Rights' part and less on 'voluntary euthanasia' as though what was being debated was the correction of some egregious wrong visited upon the territories that, incidentally, just happened to be about euthanasia.A number of Senators have now spoken to Bob Brown's  Continue reading

  As we have seen in Australia in recent times, Death with Dignity uses polling figures as their strongest marketting tool.  There they claim 82% support and a sizeable bloc of legislators in support.We do not know the poll question used; but if it's anything like that used here in Australia all it really tells us is that a large percentage of those polled agree with the question â�� it tells us little or nothing about their attitudes to euthanasia as practiced and nothing about how they feel about an particular type of legislation. Continue reading