VOL 35 NO 2 July 2018 ISSN 1321-0599 NEWSLETTER OF THE SOUTH AUSTRALIA VOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA SOCIETY INC. (SAVES) ‘The right to die is as inviolable as the right to life’. Sir Mark Oliphant your local MP is a new MP – elected in March this SAVES’ campaign update year. Following the SA state election in March 2018, The Victorian legislation is due to come into effect in SAVES has been meeting with MPs from all sides June 2019. of Parliament to discuss the next steps in achieving voluntary assisted dying law reform. Australian News There are many new MPs in both the House of Assembly and the Legislative Council. For example, Roy Morgan Poll one third of the 47 House of Assembly members According to the latest Roy Morgan Poll (November were elected for the first time at the 2018 election. 2017) a large majority of Australians, (87% – up a That means that one third of the House of Assembly significant 18% from May 1996) are in favour of were not part of the debate for the 2016 Bills. The ‘letting patients die when they are hopelessly ill last Bill in the Legislative Council was the 2010 Key and are experiencing unrelievable suffering with no – Parnell Bill tabled in both Houses – and since then chance of recovery’. This compares with 10% (down nine of the 22 members are new to the Legislative 7%) who say that doctors should ‘try to keep patients Council (40%).There are three options for a new Bill alive’ and 3% (down 11%) who are undecided. during this next four year term of Parliament: In addition a large majority of Australians, (85 % – 1. A Bill introduced in the Legislative Council up 11% from May 1996) are in favour of allowing 2. A Bill introduced in the House of Assembly. a doctor to ‘give a lethal dose when a patient is 3. Referral to a Committee hopelessly ill with no chance of recovery and asks In 1997-99 the [Anne Levy] Voluntary Euthanasia for a lethal dose.’ This compares with 15% (down Bill was referred to a Select Committee Inquiry, 3%) who say a doctor should ‘not be allowed to give and only one current MP, Hon Rob Lucas, was in a lethal dose’. the Parliament at that time. There is currently an This special Roy Morgan Snap SMS Survey was Inquiry in the WA Parliament, and Victoria achieved conducted on the night of November 2, 2017 with its successful legislation after an Inquiry and then an a representative cross-section of 1,386 Australians Advisory Committee to work through the ways the aged 18 and over. recommendations of the Inquiry could be translated into legislation. That Advisory Committee was Resource chaired by Neurosurgeon and former President of http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/7373-large-majority-of- the AMA, Prof Brian Owler, (awarded an AM in australians-in-favour-of-euthanasia-201711100349 the 2018 Queens Birthday Honours List) and had membership from two eminent South Australian Western Australia Palliative Care specialists, Emeritus Prof Ian Maddocks AM, and Dr Roger Hunt. SAVES is The Western Australian Parliamentary Inquiry into continuing to meet with MPs and it will be up to End of Life Choices has held more than 59 public the Parliament to determine which way it wishes to hearings since its inception in August 2016. WA State proceed. Coroner Ros Fogliani provided data to the inquiry which revealed that, between 2012 and November The most important thing SAVES members and 2017, 240 people with terminal illnesses ended their friends can do is to talk to your local State MP and own lives. This represents 13.9 per cent of reported explain why you believe we need law reform in SA, intentional self-harm cases in WA for that period. just as in Victoria. This is especially important if One hundred of the 240 people had experienced a 1 decline in their health prior to their deaths. The 2016 Tasmania Victorian Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry into Dying with Dignity Tasmania advises that, as a End of Life Choices also heard from coroners that result of the State election on 3rd March 2018, the approximately 50 Victorians end their lives each Tasmanian House of Assembly now has a majority year by horrendous means after ‘experiencing an of members who support voluntary assisted dying irreversible deterioration in physical health’. The in principle (13 of 25). Most either voted for the trauma to the families left behind and to emergency Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2016 or have stated services workers cannot be overstated. that they are likely to vote for a similar Bill. This The head of the WA Police Union, George Tilbury gives DWD Tasmania great confidence to work has called for voluntary euthanasia to be legalised, towards the next Bill as soon as possible. because: Queensland “If they did, there would be fewer horrific suicides and first responders would be spared having to see as Former Brisbane lord mayor Clem Jones left many graphic scenes, most of which stay with them $5million in his will to support law reform to allow forever…Attending suicides takes a toll on police voluntary euthanasia under prescribed circumstances. officers and is often very traumatic”. Earlier this year the Clem Jones Trust chair, David Muir, wrote to every Queensland MP outlining the The Committee is expected to deliver its findings by trust’s intention to launch a campaign in the state. August 23rd, paving the way for a free parliamentary Since holding a series of meetings with ministers vote on voluntary assisted-dying which could happen and MPs, Mr Muir believes voluntary assisted dying before the end of this year. laws would pass comfortably if the parliament held a conscience vote. Reference: Caporn, D ‘WA Police Union boss George Tilbury backs Queensland Labor voted to formally support calls for euthanasia laws’ The West Australian, 6th March voluntary assisted dying at its 2017 annual 2018 conference but has so far not initiated any action. The former premier Peter Beattie, an opponent while Australian Capital Territory in office, said he had changed his mind on voluntary Almost 500 written submissions have been made to assisted dying and called for a uniform national The Select Committee on End of Life Choices for the approach. Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The Canberra Reference Times reports that many submissions include ‘heart- Smee, B ‘Voluntary euthanasia would win overwhelming wrenching stories of watching family members backing in Queensland, The Guardian 15th March 2018 suffer’. Submissions are available on the Legislative https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/mar/15/ Assembly webpage (link below). The committee voluntary-euthanasia-would-win-overwhelming-backing-in- will begin hearings from the 17th May and is due queensland to report back to Parliament by the last sitting day https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/mar/15/ in 2018. In 1997 the Federal Parliament restricted voluntary-euthanasia-would-win-overwhelming-backing-in- the ACT, the Northern Territory, and Norfolk Island queensland from making laws on voluntary assisted dying under the Euthanasia Laws Act or ‘Andrews Act’. The current ACT government argues the people of the Professor David Goodall AM ACT should be allowed to choose whether or not to Readers will no doubt have heard of the death of introduce a voluntary assisted dying scheme. renowned British-born Australian botanist and References ecologist Professor David Goodall AM at the Submissions: https://www.parliament.act.gov.au/in- Dignitas Clinic in Switzerland on May 10th. As committees/select_committees/end-of-life-choices Penny Hackett, President of Dying with Dignity NSW stated in the Sydney Morning Herald the Burgess, K ‘Heart-wrenching stories emerge from ACT’s end-of-life choices inquiry’, Canberra Times 10th May following day: 2018 https://www.canberratimes.com.au/politics/act/heart- The journey of 104 year old Professor David Goodall wrenching-stories-emerge-from-act-s-end-of-life-choices- to end his life in a Swiss clinic has resonated around inquiry-20180509-p4zeah.html the world. He would not have met the criteria for 2 July 2018 assisted-dying laws for the terminally ill recently The report argues that the different circumstances passed in Victoria and under consideration in other of dying people highlights the reality of inequity, states. However, his story forces us to confront and that the current law does not offer dying people uncomfortable issues surrounding death and dying meaningful choice at the end of life. The average cost and the genuine fear that many ill and elderly people of obtaining an assisted death overseas is £10,000. hold as they approach the end of their lives…The This means that the majority of people cannot afford desire for a ‘good death’ is universal and I hope such an option. Also, the process of arranging an that Professor Goodall’s story and the campaign for assisted death overseas can be extremely difficult and voluntary assisted-dying laws for the terminally ill time consuming. The requirement to be physically will prompt more open and honest discussions within able to travel to Switzerland highlights the injustice families, the medical profession and the community of people ending their lives much sooner than they about death and dying. Surely we can do better than might otherwise. Arguably this is even greater for having our elderly people killing themselves in lonely people living vast distances from Switzerland, such and violent circumstances because they fear the pain as in Australia. and suffering of a ‘natural death.’ Advocates for voluntary assisted-dying law reform A report by Dignity in Dying UK outlines the recognise that the fight for inclusive laws cannot difficulty and expense faced by desperate people deal with the immediate needs of individuals who who choose to travel to Switzerland; and the horror are suffering right now.