ACT Right to Life Association MEDIA RELEASE

First euthanasia death signals a decline in care for the terminally ill

President of the ACT Right to Life Association, Jeremy Stuparich, said today that the first case of euthanasia in the Northern Territory was a tragedy because it signalled the beginning of changes in attitude towards terminally ill patients. Mr Stuparich was commenting on this morning’s news that the first patient had been killed under the Northern Territory’s Rights of the Terminally Ill Act.

"From today, unless the law is overturned, the onus has been put on every terminally ill patient in Australia to justify continuing their life. Terminally ill patients will have to make a decision that they want to continue living through their dying process when it is a time of life that is apparently not valued by society and when they know that their dying process is putting a strain on their family and loved ones.

"Euthanasia is a rejection of the value of a person - it says that some people’s lives are not worth living - that we cannot do anything to help the patient - that our society does not value them. That rejection by our society should not be allowed to happen. We should be giving unconditional support to patients.

"The fact that the Northern Territory’s euthanasia legislation is apparently now fully operational gives more urgency to Kevin Andrew’s moves in the Federal Parliament to outlaw euthanasia in the territories with his Euthanasia Laws Bill. These euthanasia laws are now available to all Australians, whether all Australians wanted them or not. It is therefore quite appropriate that the Federal Parliament should consider this issue."

Issued: 26 September 1996

Contact: Jeremy Stuparich, president of the ACT Right to Life Association.

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