Nitschke fails to dispel doubts about euthanasia ‘safeguards’

Australian Christian Lobby

August 2009

Australia’s most high-profile euthanasia advocate, Dr Philip Nitschke, was unable to dispel doubts about whether safeguards were adhered to with several of the 1996-7 deaths associated with the Northern Territory’s briefly operating euthanasia laws, during Tasmanian parliamentary hearings this afternoon.

Appearing before the Tasmanian Community Development Committee’s Inquiry into the Dying with Dignity Bill 2009, Dr Nitschke – a strong supporter of the legislation – failed to provide satisfactory answers to queries over possible breaches to the NT Rights of the Terminally Ill Act (repealed in March 1997), according to the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL).

“Dr Nitschke continues to trumpet his desire for euthanasia to be legalised throughout Australia and internationally, leaving a cloud of unanswered questions behind him about the role depression has played in people’s deaths and whether some who have been killed have not even been terminally ill,” ACL Tasmanian Director Nick Overton said today.

“This issue is crucially important for politicians considering the Tasmanian bill to legalise euthanasia, as the bill contains much the same supposed safeguards as those contained in the NT legislation. However there are significant doubts about whether two of the four people who died under the NT laws were actually terminally ill. Of the seven people whose deaths were associated with the laws, four were said to have symptoms of depression.”

Mr Overton said that despite Dr Nitschke’s close involvement with the people whose deaths were associated with the NT euthanasia legislation and public campaign, he was unable to satisfactorily resolve concerns about the assessment of these cases and whether they met the requirements of the legislation.

“Tasmanians should rightly be concerned that if euthanasia is legalised here it will put at risk the lives of vulnerable, sick and elderly people despite supposed safeguards in the legislation,” Mr Overton said.

“As the 1998 parliamentary inquiry rightly concluded, legalising euthanasia ‘would pose a serious threat to the more vulnerable members of society’. These concerns should be even greater when we consider recent statistics released by the ‘Our Island Our Voices’ lobby group showing that up to 4000 elderly Tasmanians suffer abuse each year, often from family members.

“If euthanasia is legalised how long will it be before some of Tasmania’s elderly are being made to feel they have a ‘duty to die’? We need to value the lives of the vulnerable and elderly in our State, not create a new culture of legalised killing. Dr Nitschke has failed to put minds at rest that safeguards will make any difference.”

Media Contact: Nick Overton on 0408 850 629; Glynis Quinlan on 0408 875 979