Local and National Disability Advocates spoke out recently against the Andrews Government’s proposed assisted suicide and euthanasia bill at a Parliamentary Briefing. Continue reading

Guest post by Richard Egan: One significant argument being made for supporting the Andrews Labor Government plan to legalise assisted suicide is being based on evidence given by Coroner John Olle to the End of Life Choices inquiry, stating that there is a cohort of about 50 people per year who have experienced an irreversible deterioration in physical health due to disease or injury and who commit suicide by variety of means, some of them violent. Continue reading

By Paul Russell: It’s difficult to talk about suicide. There won’t be a person reading this who hasn’t been touched by a suicide tragedy in some way. As a society, we’re learning slowly to talk about it; to keep a caring eye out for friends and loved ones and to ask: R U OK? Continue reading

By Paul Russell:  Don’t look to the starting point; look at the finish line. The ubiquitous figure of Philip Nitschke and his death peddling organisation, Exit, are never far from the news. Continue reading

By Paul Russell: Last week three people died together in what is being called a 'triple suicide pact' in a resort island at Queensland's Gold Coast. Please, don't get me wrong: there's nothing to celebrate here in the deaths by suicide of Margaret, Heather and Wynette Cummins. The three women, a mother, and her two daughters were members of the ubiquitous Exit International headed by former doctor, Philip Nitschke. Evidence quickly emerged in the media that they had all utilized the same Exit suicide method.   Continue reading

by Paul Russell: A draft assisted suicide and euthanasia bill is currently being circulated for comment and consultation in New South Wales. The consultation is being conducted by the 'NSW Parliamentary Working Group on Assisted Dying'. Although this sounds rather official, essentially the members of this group are simply a common interest group of MPs within the parliament.Not only is this 'working group' not an official organ of the parliament, but the consultation itself holds no official status either. You've probably guessed; the members who will oversee the consultation are also the members of the working group! Continue reading

by Paul Russell: I imagine that's grabbed your attention - as it did mine when playwright, Michael Griffiths phoned me with this news the morning after opening night in the Melbourne season of his play: The Magnolia Tree.The promotional statement for the play says it all: Continue reading

by Paul Russell: Last Wednesday (24th May 2017) the Tasmanian Parliament debated the latest assisted suicide and euthanasia bill to come before an Australian Parliament.The final vote saw the bill, euphemistically entitled the 'Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2016', defeated by a vote of two to one (16 votes to 8) in the Legislative Assembly. Continue reading

Euphemisms have consequences. The Victorian Ministerial Advisory Panel charged by Premier Daniel Andrews with the task of developing a safe way to kill people and to help them to suicide, released its interim report yesterday.Set up in December last year the 'expert panel' has conducted state-wide hearings and accepted submissions on precisely how to make a safe law. Continue reading