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]

Queensland Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Counselling Suicide to Obtain Life Insurance

To view original article, click here

Justice Davis

“However, one can imagine many circumstances arising where people in positions of trust and responsibility could succumb to the temptation to counsel suicide for personal gain.”

By Hope Australia

These confronting words were spoken last week by Justice Davis in the Supreme Court of Queensland, as he sentenced Graham Robert Morant to 10 years imprisonment for counselling his wife to commit suicide.

The judge’s words articulate the risk that family members and others in positions of trust and responsibility can persuade a person to take their own life, particularly when they stand to gain financially as a result of the death. Such risks would only be exacerbated in an environment where assisted suicide and euthanasia was legal.

Man Convicted of Assisting Wife's Suicide

An Australian man has been convicted of aiding his wife's suicide, after a court heard he had coveted payouts from her life insurance.

Jennifer Morant, 56, had suffered from chronic pain but was not terminally ill when she died in 2014, a court heard.

A jury found that Graham Morant, 69, counselled and aided his wife to take her life. He had denied both charges.

Euthanasia Bill Defeated

"[T]he title of their legislation
gave the game away."

By Denis Strangman

In a narrow vote the Australian Senate today (Thursday) defeated by 36-34 a move to permit the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory to enact laws on euthanasia and assisted suicide. Most of the Australian media was campaigning for the pro-euthanasia move. A lot of work went on in the background with the group established by Paul Russell (Hope) encouraging a joint-Party meeting for Senators and staff to hear from two experienced Doctors from Victoria.