Euthanasia in Victoria (or is that "dying with dignity?")

Status: Closed - the Bill was DEFEATED!

Updates

11 September 2008 - The Victorian Legislative Council has debated and voted on the Medical Treatment (Physician Assisted Dying Bill 2008 on Wednesday 10 September 2008.
The Bill was DEFEATED - 25 votes to 13.

Click here for the Hansard debate and vote.
The final vote is on Page 37-38.

21 August 2008 - The Victorian Legislative Council has again debated the Medical Treatment (Physician Assisted Dying Bill 2008 - on Wed 20 August 2008.

Another NINE MPs spoke on the Bill - 2 in favour, 7 against.

One MLC, Philip Davis, moved a 'reasoned amendment' proposing that the Bill be sent to the Legislation Committee "for inquiry, consideration and report and that the bill not be read a second time until the Council has considered the final report of the committee on the bill'. The amendment proposes that the Committee take submissions and report by 31 March 2009.

Following that, the debate was officially on the amendment but most MPs used their speech to speak on the actual Bill.
Two MLCs expressed support for the Bill: Philip Davis (Eastern Victoria) and Gavin Jennings (South Eastern Metropolitan).
Seven MLCs said they would vote against the Bill: Matt Viney (Eastern Victoria); Jan Kronberg (Eastern Metropolitan); Jenny Mikakos (Northern Metropolitan); Richard Dalla-Riva (Eastern Metropolitan); Brian Tee (Eastern Metropolitan); Inga Peulich (South Eastern Metropolitan); Bernie Finn (Western Metropolitan).
Click here to read the Draft Hansard, containing their speeches. (Pages 53-83)

The number of MLCs opposing the Bill is an encouraging sign!
The debate was not concluded by the close of sitting last night. We have been informed by an MLC that the Bill will NEXT be debated on Wednesday 10 September.

Update: 19 August 2008
The Medical Treatment (Physician Assisted Dying) Bill is expected to be debated, and voted on, in the Legislative Council on Wednesday 20 August.
PLEASE contact your FIVE Legislative Council MPs to ask them to vote against this Bill.

Update 1 August 2008
The Victorian Legislative Council debated the Bill last Wednesday.
Click here to read the Hansard speeches - at Page 47 and again at P 83.
So far 11 MPs have spoken. Six opposed the Bill (Kavanagh, Rich-Phillips, Thornley, Vogels, Pakula, Pulford). Four have said they support the Bill (Broad, Scheffer, Coote, Leane). One MP (Peter Hall) said he is undecided at present.
The Parliament next meets on 19 August 2008. We are advised by MPs that the Bill is likely to be next debated and put to a vote on 20 August.

Update: 30 July 2008
The Medical Treatment (Physician Assisted Dying) Bill is being debated by Victoria's Legislative Council. The Bill has been proposed by Greens MLC Colleen Hartland.
Please contact your MPs in both the Legislative Council and ALSO in the Legislative Assembly.
Please PRAY that the Bill is defeated in the Legislative Council.
ASK your MPs to vote AGAINST the Bill
[MP names and contact details - click here]
FULL details of the Bill below...
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The Bill

June 2008 - Greens MP Colleen Hartland has prepared a Bill that would allow 'physician assisted dying'. In other words it would allow doctors to help people kill themselves.

The Bill was initially proposed by Legislative Assembly member Liberal Ken Smith. It is now being co-sponsored by Greens MP Colleen Hartland.

The Bill was to have been presented to parliament, with the Second Reading Speech, on 28 May. Greens MP Colleen Hartland attempted to table the Bill on WED 28 May in the Legislative Council - however Democratic Labor Party MP Peter Kavanagh managed to have the Second reading speech delayed.

11 June 2008 - Dying Bill in Vic Legislative Council
The 'assisted suicide' bill being promoted by Greens MP Colleen Hartland, was tabled in the Legislative Council on 11 June 2008.
It is called the Medical Treatment (Physician Assisted Dying) Bill.
Click here to read the proposed bill.
Click here to read the second reading speech.

ACTION NEEDED - Please contact your SIX MPs NOW!
Ask them to vote against this Bill. More details below.
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Greens MP Colleen Hartland has released a Draft Exposure of her proposed Bill.
It is called the Medical Treatment (Physician Assisted Dying) Bill 2008.
The Draft Bill has been posted on the Greens website: click here.

Under the Bill, doctors would be allowed to assist a person die if they have a 'terminal illness' or incurable disease. As well as defining a lot of the words used (that really don't define what is 'incurable' or what is 'suffering'!), the Bill specifically says this would not be called 'suicide'!

Ms Hartland held a Briefing at the Parliament last week - on 29 May - The other speaker at the forum was Neil Francis - President, Dying With Dignity Victoria.
This is the new, sanitised name for what was once called the 'Voluntary Euthanasia Society of Victoria '.
But 'Dying with Dignity' sounds nicer...
And 'Physician-Assisted Dying' sounds more appealing than suicide.

This organisation has been lobbying consistently for this legislation - DWDV surveyed all the MPs and candidates prior to the last state election - they posted their 'legislative charter' and survey results on their website.

Media Release - Greens Victoria - 28-05-2008
Delay will help supporters of Physician Assisted Dying
"Greens MLC Colleen Hartland is happy to wait another two weeks for the second reading of her Physician Assisted Dying bill. "The longer we wait, the more support we get", said Colleen Hartland...."

ACTION: Victorians, PLEASE contact your SIX MPs
- one Legislative Assembly - FIVE Legislative Council.

Ask them to vote AGAINST this proposed Bill - the Medical Treatment (Physician Assisted Dying) Bill 2008. Ask your Legislative Council MPs to ensure that the Bill is not given 'leave' to be debated.
Click here for YOUR MP contact details.

Media Reports:

MPs to debate Euthanasia Bill
Herald Sun, Article from: AAP - May 28, 2008.
"A PRIVATE members Bill to legalise euthanasia has been introduced in the Victorian Parliament.
Greens MP Colleen Hartland introduced the Bill in the upper house today, coinciding with a national push by Greens Leader Bob Brown to restore right-to-die laws in the Northern Territory.
Introducing the Bill, Ms Hartland said it would enable a "mentally competent adult person suffering intolerably from a terminal or advanced incurable illness to exercise their right to end their lives".
The Bill also provides protection for doctors who help patients die.
The Medical Treatment (Physician Assisted Dying) Bill will be formally tabled on June 11 after attempts for a second reading today were thwarted by Democratic Labor Party MP Peter Kavanagh.
The Bill is not not expected to be debated in the upper house until the end of next month.
If it makes it to the lower house there will be resistance, with Victorian Premier John Brumby today reiterating his opposition to euthanasia...."

Brumby not swayed by right-to-die proposal
The Age, May 29, 2008
"LEGISLATION giving terminally ill people the right to die with the assistance of a doctor is unlikely to win the backing of Premier John Brumby. ..."

Euthanasia bill stalled by DLP
ABC, Wed May 28, 2008
"Debate on a controversial euthanasia bill before the Victorian Parliament has been delayed by the Democratic Labor Party (DLP)...."

Bid for licence to kill
Sunday Herald Sun, Peter Rolfe, May 25, 2008
DOCTORS would be given a licence to kill under legislation to be introduced to Victorian Parliament.
Greens MP Colleen Hartland will introduce the controversial Physician-Assisted Dying Bill to the Upper House on Wednesday...."