|
By Chris Hook
Euthanasia is officially back on the public agenda in NSW. Greens member of the NSW Upper House, Ian Cohen, is set to introduce a
private member’s bill legalising euthanasia when parliament resumes in March.
“Recent reports regarding the late Mrs Hall, a cancer-ridden Sydney woman who recently took steps to terminate her life, highlight
the need for laws to be reformed in NSW and across Australia to minimise the pain and suffering of the terminally ill,” said Mr Cohen.
The 7.30 Report recently followed the last days of Norma Hall, from
Coogee, Sydney, who decided to end her life by refusing food and drink.
Pro-euthanasia physician Dr Philip Nitschke flew from Darwin to nurse Mrs Hall.
In 1995 the Northern Territory legalised
voluntary euthanasia, but the law was quickly overturned by the federal parliament. There was a similar push to introduce euthanasia in NSW the following year, but Premier Bob Carr decided against the legislation.
Mr Cohen said his bill was based on the Northern Territory model. The “time was right to try again in NSW ,“ he said.
“Mrs Hall’s case shows the debate is far from over. People in her situation
should be allowed to die peacefully and in dignity without pain and suffering,” said Mr Cohen. “This bill achieves just that.”
When the bill is introduced into parliament, the Greens expect a conscience vote
to be allowed. “We have no way of predicting the outcome,” said Mr Cohen.
But at least one Member of Parliament intends to stop it.
Unity Party MP, Dr Peter Wong, a Catholic, said he would campaign
strongly against the bill.
“In my 30 years of medical practice not once did I need to resort to the suggestion of killing a patient as a solution to pain and stress,” Dr Wong said.
“In a caring
environment, with the support of family members, doctors, nurses, counsellors or religious persons, in an absolute majority of cases, terminal illness can be handled with dignity and a certain degree of comfort,”
said Dr Wong.
“The (proposal) of such a bill only indicates the loss of faith of a society (which cannot) show (the) compassion to care and support those dying (with) … pain and suffering.”
Others share Dr Wong’s concern.
Dr Brian Pollard – author of The Challenge of Euthanasia and a Catholic – warned legalising euthanasia would undermine criminal law.
“Criminal law in every country says
an innocent life must not be taken. Euthanasia laws make an exception for one group of people … justice would have been turned on its head (in this case) as it would (be relying) on the wishes of individual people,”
commented Dr Pollard.
Legalised euthanasia would create a group of innocent people whose lives could be legally taken and so the concept of equality before the law would have been overturned, said Dr Pollard.
“It would fracture criminal law.”
A spokesperson for NSW Liberal Opposition Leader, Kerry Chikarovski, said Coalition members would probably be allowed a conscience vote, but Ms Chikarovski was
personally opposed to euthanasia.
Premier Bob Carr was overseas and unavailable to comment.
See comment this issue
|
