Suicide Will increase in Queensland If Labor Introduces and Passes this Bill

Dr. Tim & Anne Coyle

By Mark Bowling

For entire article, click here.

Dr Coyle is equally critical of the Queensland Labor government’s push to legalize euthanasia under the state’s proposed Voluntary Assisted Dying bill.

“It is deceitful to call it VAD as if it is voluntary,” he said. 

“Why not call it what it is – euthanasia. It will be killing people with a lethal cocktail.”

Dr Coyle said evidence showed that suicide had increased in jurisdictions where euthanasia has been legalized. 

Morant Loses Appeal

By Lydia Lynch, Brisbane Times

A Queensland man sentenced to 10 years in prison for helping his wife to kill herself for a $1.4 million life insurance payout has lost his appeal.

The ruling comes after emails between euthanasia campaigner Philip Nitschke and the man's wife were discovered following his conviction.

Graham Robert Morant (pictured here) was aged 69 when he was convicted of persuading his wife to end her life in November 2014.

Queensland Euthanasia Bill Deferred

Palaszczuk

Courtesy of Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition:

ABC News Australia, state political reporter, Josh Bavas, reported that the Queensland Australia euthanasia bill will be deferred until after the October 31, 2020 election. Bavas [said]:

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told parliament this morning the legislation would instead be referred to the Queensland Law Reform Commission for consideration, with an expectation it would respond after the October state election. 

If Assisted Dying Is a Right, Must it Be Made Available to Everyone?

Queensland Parliament

By Margaret Dore, Esq.

A Queensland Parliamentary Committee has made recommendations concerning voluntary assisted dying or VAD, meaning euthanasia and assisted suicide.[1]

Of special interest is the Committee's Recommendation 17, referring to "rights" of the patients to access VAD. The recommendation states:

The committee recommends that any voluntary assisted dying scheme in Queensland provides health practitioners who may have a conscientious objection to participating in voluntary assisted dying to opt not to participate, provided that the rights of the patients to access the scheme are also protected.  (Emphasis added).[2]