If Victoria Follows Oregon, "Six Months to Live" Will Include Young Adults With Insulin Dependent Diabetes

William Toffler, MD

By Margaret Dore, updated 11/19/17.

On Friday, William Toffler, a physician and professor of family medicine in Oregon, explained the implications of a six months to live criteria proposed for euthanasia/assisted suicide in Victoria. In a letter and declaration to Members of the Legislative Council, Dr. Toffler stated:

In Oregon, a similar six months to live criteria is interpreted to include people with chronic conditions, such as chronic lower respiratory disease and insulin dependent diabetes (more formally known as "diabetes mellitus").

Margaret Dore Featured by Hope Australia

Margaret Dore

Margaret Dore, an experienced attorney specialising in elder law in Washington State, where assisted suicide is legal, has urged Victorian MPs “to reject the proposed bill seeking to legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.”

Her analysis of the purported "Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2017," which would legalise euthanasia as well as assisted suicide, can be read in full here.

Dore points out that in “Oregon and Washington State, most people who die under their [assisted suicide] laws are elders, aged 65 or older. This demographic is already an especially at risk group for abuse and financial exploitation. This is true in both the US and Australia.

Dore Meets With Victoria Parliamentary Delegation

Margaret Dore speaking

On April 7, 2016, Margaret Dore, attorney and president of Choice is an Illusion, met with a five
member delegation from the Legal and Social Issues Committee, Parliament of Victoria, Australia.

The topic was assisted suicide and euthanasia. The place was the Picnic House Restaurant in Portland Oregon where Dore spoke over lunch in opposition to legalization.

The function of the Committee generally is to inquire into and report on any proposal, matter or thing concerned with community services, education, gaming, health, and law and justice. Committee inquires result in policy recommendations to the Victorian Government and can lead to legislative change.

The Committee delegation members were: its Chair, the Honorable Edward O’Donohue MLC; its Deputy Chair, Ms Nina Springle, MLC; Mr Cesar Melhem MLC; Ms Fiona Patten MLC; and Ms Jaclyn Symes MLC. They were joined by Lilian Topic, Committee Secretary.