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ACT Right to Life AssociationMEDIA RELEASE |
Defeat of ACT euthanasia bill a triumph for patient rights
President of the ACT Right to Life Association, Jeremy Stuparich, today described the defeat of the ACT's euthanasia bill as a triumph for patient rights. The euthanasia bill, the Medical Treatment (Amendment) Bill 1995, was defeated in a vote in the ACT Legislative Assembly by ten votes to seven, just before 5pm this afternoon.
"The rejection of this euthanasia bill will help the cause of people with a terminal illness by ensuring our community does not say their lives are without worth - that we would take their lives just as soon as treat their symptoms.
"A number of members of the ACT Legislative Assembly who opposed this euthanasia bill referred in the debate to the danger that the bill would first allow a choice for euthanasia, then an expectation, and later an obligation for patients to accept euthanasia.
"They referred to the many government reports investigating euthanasia from around the world that concluded that euthanasia could not, in safety, be offered to the community. Legalised euthanasia would offer too many opportunities for abuse that could not be legislated against.
"Since the Northern Territory's Rights of the Terminally Ill Act was passed on 25 May both South Australia (Voluntary Euthanasia Bill - rejected 27 July) and the ACT have rejected euthanasia bills. Clearly the momentum that was seen to have been behind euthanasia in Australia has been halted", said Mr Stuparich.
Issued: 22 November 1995
Contact: Jeremy Stuparich, president of the ACT Right to Life Association.
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