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

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

Written by Paul Russell: Yesterday, Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews formally accepted the recommendations of the Ministerial Advisory Panel that he set up in December last year to advance his plans for assisted suicide and euthanasia. Continue reading

By Paul Russell:  There is no consensus, there is no mandate. Victorian Deputy Premier, James Merlino, fired a broadside at his Premier’s plans to introduce assisted suicide and euthanasia legislation today. The Australian reports: Continue reading

By Paul Russell: Reading the Victorian Panel report is a bit like watching an old B Grade Horror movie. The Final Report of the Ministerial Advisory Panel on ‘Assisted Dying’ set up by Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews late in 2016, handed down its final report and recommendations today. The media messaging by the government and the Panel Chair, Dr Brian Owler, focussed almost exclusively on selling their work to the Victorian people. A sugar coated bitter pill. Health Minister Jill Hennessy described the model put forward for the new law as, “the safest in the world”. Dr Owler told The Guardian that, the panel’s final report outlined 66 recommendations and safeguards, and that the model was “the most conservative model for voluntary assisted dying in the world”. Continue reading

By Paul Russell: Later this week the Ministerial Advisory Panel set up by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to advise his government on a legislative scheme for their assisted suicide plans, will table their final report. Legislation is expected to follow sometime in August. Continue reading

by Paul Russell: Dr. Boudewijn Chabot is a retired Dutch psychiatrist and psychotherapist. In 1993 he was charged with having assisted in the suicide of a healthy 50-year-old Dutch woman, Hilly Bosscher, in 1991. Bosscher had lost two sons in the previous five years; six months apart. One had committed suicide; the other had died of cancer. Both were in their early twenties. Her grief did not abate; she wanted to die and to 'to lie in between the graves of her two sons'. The Independent reported at the time that: 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

  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: As the Victorian Ministerial Advisory Panel on 'assisted dying' makes ready to release its interim report sometime in April, The Age newspaper turned its attention to the matter of conscience; to be precise: the ability of a doctor to refuse to take part in any action that would bring about the premature and deliberate death of a person.Conscience - or the ability to draw upon ones own personal belief system in making a decision about an action - plays out at different levels in any debate on euthanasia and assisted suicide. Continue reading