Tasmanian Govt urged to step up palliative care support following welcome defeat of euthanasia bill

The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) tonight welcomed the resounding defeat of the Tasmanian euthanasia bill by the Tasmanian Parliament and challenged the Government to now step up palliative care support and resources for people with terminal illnesses, particularly in regional areas.

ACL Tasmanian Director Nick Overton said that tonight’s defeat of the Dying with Dignity Bill 2009 was a victory for those who value life and for vulnerable sick, elderly and depressed people who would have been put at risk by the bill.

“We congratulate Lower House parliamentarians for rejecting a bill which could have corrupted the practice of medicine in Tasmania and sent dangerous messages to the sick and elderly who might otherwise have felt there was an expectation they should terminate their lives if they had become an ‘inconvenience’ to society. This would have been an inhumane situation.

“This is the second time proposed euthanasia laws have been considered and rejected in Tasmania and it is time for euthanasia advocates to accept this decision and to stop diverting attention from the real need to provide better end of life care services for Tasmanians,” Mr Overton said.

Mr Overton said an important finding of the report into the bill by the Joint Standing Committee on Community Development was that “whilst palliative care is of a very good standard there is a need to have an improved system of management and resources, particularly in regional areas”.

The committee also found that “There was overwhelming agreement, in the written and verbal evidence to the Committee, that the Tasmanian Government needs to invest sufficient funds and resources in palliative care services in Tasmania.”

The committee also heard from prominent euthanasia advocate Dr Philip Nitschke who reiterated many of his controversial views including his support for euthanasia to be available to people not terminally ill. He also admitted that a breach of the Northern Territory euthanasia laws might have occurred when he euthanised a patient in 1997 during the brief period the practice was legal there.

“The Australian Christian Lobby has long contended that, as a society, we should be seeking to ease people’s pain through better palliative care, not promoting killing as an alternative to helping them. While concerns about dying are under the spotlight let’s use this as an opportunity to provide constructive help to those facing illness and death,” Mr Overton said.