The Submission by the Victorian Coroner's Office to recent Inquiry into end-of-life issues is a counsel of despair. Coroner Olle and his office focussed upon suicide statistics over a five year period noting 240 deaths of persons who had 'irreversibly diminished physical health'. Olle gave verbal evidence which, in reality, is little more than opinion: "� the people we are talking about in this small cohort have made an absolute clear decision. They are determined. The only assistance that could be offered is to meet their wishes, not to prolong their life."How Olle knows this to be true is not stated. He is really saying that, the only option for these people who have resolved that suicide is their only solution is to provide them with assisted suicide. How is this about providing choice? Continue reading

A report in the Melbourne Age newspaper this week says that Labor Premier Daniel Andrews has significant concerns about euthanasia and does not support moves towards legislation on the issue. While conceding that there seems to be 'momentum' on the issue, he expressed reservations, saying that, "there are some safeguard issues, and there some balance issues I'm troubled by."Andrews pointed out that he developed his opposition to euthanasia when he was Victoria's Health Minister in a previous Labor government where he observed, according to the report, 'a growing need to free up hospital beds to meet patient demand. Without enough checks and balances around physician-assisted death, "there are some challenges, particularly in a system where there are finite resources"'. Continue reading

Yesterday the Melbourne Age and Sydney Morning Herald newspapers ramped up its editorial support for euthanasia laws by publishing yet another story about a person with a difficult diagnosis who wants the 'option' of killing himself. Predictably they also editorialised on the same issue at a time when every other newspaper is covering such pressing matters as the national budget, dealing with the threat of terrorism, social disadvantage etc. This new story feature's Victoria's own 'doctor death', Dr Rodney Syme, vice president of the Victorian pro-euthanasia lobby, and records in words, images and video Syme handing the person a bottle identified as containing Nembutal. Syme has admitted providing Nembutal to others. In 2014, he admitted, in the same newspaper, that he gave Steve Guest Nembutal in the weeks before Guest killed himself in 2005. Syme was effectively goading the Victorian Police into action; the article reporting his thoughts as follows:"Dr Syme, 78, said after watching state Parliaments reject 16 euthanasia bills over the past 20 years he was ready to "out" himself and be charged over Mr Guest's death because a court case could set a useful legal precedent for doctors who are too scared to help terminally ill people end their own lives." Continue reading

By Paul Russell: The Upper House of the Victorian Parliament debated a government motion introduced today in respect of end-of-life issues. This follows a lapsing of a debate yesterday by Colleen Hartland MLC to refer the matter of euthanasia to the Victorian Law Reform Committee and another pending motion by Fiona Patten MLC along similar lines.The government motion, by contrast, is for a broad look at all end-of-life issues and does not even mention euthanasia. It passed today by a significant majority. Continue reading

The Upper House of the Victorian Parliament debated a euthanasia motion today that was ultimately left unresolved. The Motion clearly did not have enough support. As we reported earlier, the motion by Greens MLC, Colleen Hartland was designed to ask the State Attorney-General to refer the matter to the Victorian Law Reform Commission for an inquiry. The VLRC, as we noted, is not a body answerable to the Victorian people, is charged with reform of the law when no mandate for such reform has been made and has only a legal framework that cannot adequately accont for the ethical and moral dimensions of any euthanasia law.Speaking against the motion, Bernie Finn MLC, observed to his colleagues that to support this motion would be to effectively abrogate their responsibilities as legislators elected by the Victorian people to fulfil that function. Finn, instead, argued for a parliamentary inquiry where the issues could be thrashed out by members of parliament. A position that we also support (see earlier article). Continue reading