A question of conscience Victorian Parliament's Upper House set to debate euthanasia motion next weekBy Paul Russell: Continue reading

I reported recently about the suicide death of an elderly Victorian woman suffering chronic arthritis. Used as a media spike for euthanasia, it was anything but an example to be considered. The family of Mrs Hookey are under investigation in respect to her death. They were in the home that night.They maintain that they had nothing to do with her death and I, for one, have no problems accepting that assertion.The family are upset that they are 'being treated like criminals'. An understandable sentiment. No one like the idea of being thought of as having committed a crime. But being a 'suspect' is not the same as being proven as a criminal and our laws treat people as innocent until (unless) proven otherwise. Continue reading

  Welcome news today from Victoria that police have finally interviewed Dr Rodney Syme over the Nembutal death of Steve Guest nine years ago.As The Age report reminds us, Syme admitted publicly in April this year that he had 'given Steve Guest Nembutal in 2005 while he was dying from oesophageal cancer.' Continue reading

Recent reports on most Australian News services concerning the double suicide of two women in Victoria using suicide apparatus purchased from Exit International are swallowing the pro-euthanasia bait dangled in front of them by Dr Nitschke. The same could be said for the news reports of only a month or so ago, also arising out of Victoria, concerning the admission by   that he provided Nembutal that was used by another Victorian man to commit suicide years before. Continue reading

A recent court case in Canada parallels the situation of Mrs De Ravin. Mrs Margaret Bentley was living in a care facility and was suffering from dementia. She also had a living will - two in fact â��  the second of these being contested as part of a case taken by her family in the BC Supreme Court seeking a ruling that spoon feeding constituted 'medical care', not basic care and arguing, therefore, that the nursing home should cease to feed Bentley.  Continue reading

  I've  on the case of Victorian man Heinz Klinkermann who attempted to kill his disabled wife and himself at the same time. My comment in this case was principally about the need to uphold the criminal code in court judgement and how that should be balanced with mercy in sentencing as appropriate. Continue reading