Dr Philip Nitschke, a vocal advocate for assisted suicide nicknamed “Dr Death,” has designed a suicide machine that gives anyone with a 3D printer the ability to kill themselves. Called the Sarco Capsule, the machine is open-sourced on the internet- meaning anyone with a 3D printer can download plans and construct it. Continue reading

Many Australians have expressed their concerns that the latest version of Victoria’s Voluntary Assisted Suicide Bill no longer contains any of the safeguards which were initially promised. However, a new study by the National Institute of Health indicates that in any event, safeguards are not effective once assisted suicide is legalised. Continue reading

Last week 43 Belgian psychiatrists, psychologists, and academics published an open letter demanding national debate on the issue of euthanasia and mental illness. These experts in the field state that the current law is too vague, and is resulting in many uncalled-for deaths. Continue reading

In an important article outlining inequalities in access to palliative care in regional Victoria compared to Melbourne, the Minister for Health Jill Hennessy is reported as having “rejected suggestions that patients suffering from poor access to palliative care were more likely to opt for voluntary assisted dying.” Continue reading

The Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2017, passed its second reading in the Victorian Legislative Council on 3 November 2017 by a narrow margin of just 2 votes. In the Legislative Assembly the Minister for Health and Attorney General knocked back every proposed amendment, essentially asserting that the Bill, as drafted, is perfect and cannot be usefully improved. Continue reading

This past week, the World Medical Association, representing more than 10 million physicians, turned its focus on the threat to human life in Australia by issuing a statement urging Victorian MPs to block the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill:  Continue reading

The key to the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2017 is the voluntary assisted dying substance, defined in Clause 3 of the Bill to mean “a poison or controlled substance or a drug of dependence specified in a voluntary assisted dying permit for the purpose of causing a person's death”. Continue reading

Australians are being blatantly lied to. We are told that euthanasia and assisted suicide are ‘compassionate’ forms of end-of-life care, and proponents assure us that there are ‘safeguards’ to address the fatal flaws of such legislation. Continue reading

We are often so focused on the effects that euthanasia and assisted suicide have on the primary party – the victim – that we overlook the second party – the medical professional in charge of administering lethal medication.  Continue reading

Former Prime Minister Paul Keating has issued a statement warning against the passage of Victoria’s assisted suicide bill. His remarks apply equally to the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill which is before the New South Wales Legislative Council. Continue reading