By Paul Russell: A tale of two Op-Eds. Polling noted today in The Australian shows a significant level of distrust in our political classes to get the issue of euthanasia and assisted suicide right. “13 per cent of respondents believed the state government should be able to decide the issue, while 55 per cent backed a people’s referendum and 32 per cent singled out the federal government.” Continue reading

On Tuesday I wrote about Canada's euthanasia law - one year later, showing how the euthanasia law is being extended in Canada at a record pace. In June 2016, Canada's federal government legalized euthanasia (Bill C-14) with imprecise terminology. From my first reading of C-14, I was convinced that the government intentionally used imprecise language to enable the expansion of euthanasia, without facing political pressure from passing a wide-open euthanasia law. Continue reading

By Paul Russell: The Mother Situation is a brilliant short film by Matt Day that explores three siblings and their plans to be rid of their ailing mother and to access her estate. It's a side-splitting comedy about a very dark subject that has implications for issues such as euthanasia, assisted suicide and elder abuse. The short film closes with the three accomplices waiting in their (now deceased) mother's lounge. A new character enters who we quickly learn is a real estate agent. As he provides an assessment of the value of their mother's property, the film closes at the siblings' jubilation. Continue reading

By Paul Russell: After acknowledging during the recent Western Australian election campaign that he supported euthanasia, now WA Premier Mark McGowan, as he did before the previous election in 2013, said recently that any such bill would be a private member's bill and not a government bill. In March, 'Health Minister Roger Cook said he supported voluntary euthanasia. He indicated the Government would not introduce legislation but would support individual MPs' bids to introduce a private member's Bill' says the West Australian. Cook confirmed this position more recently also. 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: Anyone looking at the experience in Canada since euthanasia and assisted suicide laws came into force last year, should be struck by the moves to extend the law so soon after they had been passed. After all, when you look to Belgium and Holland and even Oregon USA, the moves to expand their laws and/or the application of their laws has taken some time to develop. Continue reading

By Paul Russell: I wrote recently about the suicide death of 27 year old Canadian Adam Maier-Clayton. Maier-Clayton had significant psychological difficulties and was pushing for the inclusion of psychological complaints within the ambit of Canada's death laws.He was unsuccessful. His condition has recently been described as a somatoform disorder which, in some circumstances 'the patient's psychological problems may be much more complex and their physical symptoms become severe, disabling and long-lasting'. He died a suicide death earlier in April. Continue reading

By Paul Russell: Public challenges to the zeitgeist on euthanasia are rare in the Netherlands. The practice of deliberately killing patients in Holland has a long history reaching back more than thirty years. The Dutch, like their Belgian neighbours, have grown used to the idea. Promotion of the practice through sympathetic propaganda on prime time television and even a euthanasia film festival a few years ago have served the agenda to normalise the practice.This has lead some commentators to suggest that everything is going just fine and dandy in the Low Countries, supposing that the cultural acceptance of euthanasia is a sign that the practice is entirely under control. The lack of political opposition has been cited by the likes of Peter Singer in an attempt to confirm this. This is thinking in a bubble: it ignores the realities that what is legal becomes broadly accepted as being moral and that repeal or reform is incredibly difficult in such circumstances. Continue reading