Below: On June 10, 2016, Newsy telecast a report on the US state of California's recent decision to allow the terminally ill access to assisted dying.
Below: On February 11, 2016, CTV News ran a report on concerns in Canada prior to the introduction of assisted suicide legislation, that such laws might be abused.
Below: On September 12, 2015, the BBC televised a report on the decision of the British House of Commons not to legalise physician assisted death.
Below: On January 15, 2015, PBS News Hours televised a brief report on doctor-assisted suicide in Belgium, the country with the most liberal euthanasia laws in the world.
Below: In October, 2013, the ABC's Four Corners program televised the story of an Australian man suffering an incurable condition who travelled to Switzerland, where euthanasia is legal, in order to end his life.
Web links, documents
On December 10, 2016, the assisted dying advocacy group, Go Gentle Australia, posted a transcript of an interview given by Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, on the ABC's 7.30 Report. Andrews explains his support for a Victorian law allowing assisted dying.
A full transcript of this interview can be accessed at http://www.gogentleaustralia.org.au/daniel_andrews
On December 9, 2016, The Conversation published an analysis by Ben White, Professor of Law and Director, Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Queensland University of Technology; Andrew McGee, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, Queensland University of Technology and Lindy Willmott, Professor of Law, Queensland University of Technology.
The aim of the analysis is to explain the intention of some of the main provisions of the assisted dying legislation proposed by the Victorian Parliament's Legal and Social Issues Committee's report titled 'Inquiry into end of life choices'.
The title of the analysis is 'Victoria's model for assisted dying laws may be narrow enough to pass'.
The full text of the analysis can be accessed at https://theconversation.com/victorias-model-for-assisted-dying-laws-may-be-narrow-enough-to-pass-70120
On December 8, 2016, the offices of the Victorian Premier, the Attorney-General and the Minister for Health issued a media release titled 'Victorian Parliament to Vote on Assisted Dying Legislation'
The media release states, 'The Andrews Labor Government will introduce legislation into the Parliament next year [2017] to legalise voluntary assisted dying for terminally ill people in Victoria.'
The full text of the media release can be accessed at http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/victorian-parliament-to-vote-on-assisted-dying-legislation/
On December 6, 2016, the ABC published a report titled 'Victorian Government set to hold conscience vote on assisted dying after accepting committee findings'
The report anticipates the Victorian Government's response Legal and Social Issues Committee's report on its 'Inquiry into end of life choices'. The article looks at a range of responses to the foreshadowed legislation.
The full text of this article can be accessed at http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-06/victorian-government-to-legislate-assisted-dying/8097838
On December 5, 2016, the ABC ran a report titled 'Palliative care doctors warn Victoria against legalising euthanasia'
The report outlines the concern of some palliative care doctors in Victoria that the Victorian Parliament's Legal and Social Issues Committee's recommendation in favour of the legalisation of assisted dying is likely to see funding and support taken away from palliative care.
The full text of this report can be accessed at http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-05/doctors-warn-against-euthanasia-move/8091718
On December 2, 2016, The Conversation published an opinion piece by Andrew McGee, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law, Queensland University of Technology; Ben White, Professor of Law and Director, Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Queensland University of Technology and Lindy Willmott, Professor of Law, Queensland University of Technology.
The comment is titled 'South Australia's reasons for voting down euthanasia go against the evidence'. The comment challenges a number of the reasons given for South Australia recently deciding not to enact voluntary euthanasia legislation.
The full text of the article can be accessed at https://theconversation.com/south-australias-reasons-for-voting-down-euthanasia-go-against-the-evidence-69050
On November 24, 2016, the AMA issued a revised position statement on euthanasia and physician assisted suicide.
Though it acknowledges a diversity of views within the community and among doctors on euthanasia, the AMA's position remains to oppose the practice.
It also asks to be involved in advising governments in the event of there being any change to the law. One of its concerns is to prevent any doctor having to act against his or her conscience should there be a change in the law.
The full text of this statement can be accessed at https://ama.com.au/system/tdf/documents/AMA%20Position%20Statement%20on%20Euthanasia%20and%20Physician%20Assisted%20Suicide%202016.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=45402
On October 28, 2016, the euthanasia advocacy group, Dying with Dignity Victoria published a letter sent to the Victorian Health Minister, Jill Hennessy, thanking her for her efforts regarding end of life issues and suggesting that the Victorian Government needed to introduce legislation offering assisted dying to more than those suffering an immediately terminally disease.
The full text of this letter can be accessed at http://www.dwdv.org.au/news/dr-rodney-syme-letter-to-victorian-health-minister
In August 2016, Palliative Care Australia issued its most recent update of its position statement on 'Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide'. The statement makes a clear distinction between palliative care and physician assisted suicide, stating, 'The practice of palliative care does not include euthanasia or physician assisted suicide' and 'Palliative care does not intend to hasten or postpone death.'
Regarding assisted dying, the position statement states, 'Public discussion and policy development on issues related to euthanasia and physician assisted suicide should be informed by research'.
The full text of this statement can be accessed at http://palliativecare.org.au/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2015/08/20160823-Euthanasia-and-Physician-Assisted-Suicide-Final.pdf
In June 2016 the Parliament of Victoria's Legal and Social Issues Committee released its Final Report titled 'Inquiry into end of life choices'.
The Committee's report makes 49 recommendations including extensive reforms to the provision of palliative care, advance care planning and end-of-life laws in Victoria.
The most controversial of its recommendations is that which would have the Victorian Parliament introduce a Bill seeking to allow assisted dying in Victoria.
The full text of the report can be accessed at http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/SCLSI/EOL_Report/LSIC_58-05_Text_WEB.pdf
In May, 2016, The Australian Human Rights Commission issued a paper titled 'Euthanasia, human rights and the law'
The paper seeks to outline the current medical practice and legal sanctions regarding different forms of palliation and attitudes and practice regarding euthanasia.
The full text of the paper can be accessed at https://www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/age-discrimination/publications/euthanasia-human-rights-and-law
On March 7, 2016, The Conversation published a comment by Paul Komesaroff, Professor of Medicine, Monash University. The opinion piece is titled 'Euthanasia: let's clarify what the law is before we debate changing it'.
Without expressing a point of view on whether the laws surrounding assisted dying should change, Professor Komesaroff argues that the debate surrounding this issue needs clarification to ensure that participants have a shared understanding of what they are seeking and knowledge of what the law currently allows.
The full text of this comment can be accessed at https://theconversation.com/euthanasia-lets-clarify-what-the-law-is-before-we-debate-changing-it-55142
On November 13, 2015, the ABC's Religion and Ethics site published a comment by Bernadette Tobin, Director of the Plunkett Centre for Ethics, a joint centre of St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, and Australian Catholic University.
The opinion piece is titled 'Voluntary Euthanasia: It Can Only be a Way Station to the Non-Voluntary'.
Tobin argues that the values that underpin voluntary euthanasia and the practice that grows around it ultimately lead to non-voluntary euthanasia.
The full text of this article can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2015/11/13/4351675.htm
On November 2, 2015, the Wheeler Society posted an argument by Andrew Denton, titled 'An Argument for Assisted Dying in Australia'.
Denton presents the results of his eight month investigation into the arguments of those opposed to assisted death and the reasons why his research leads him to continue to support the practice.
The full text of this article can be accessed at http://www.wheelercentre.com/notes/an-argument-for-assisted-dying-in-australia-andrew-denton-s-di-gribble-argument-in-full
On July 29, 2015, Timothy Kleinig, Clinical Associate Professor, Adelaide University, offered a submission to the Parliament of Victoria's Legal and Social Issues Committee's Enquiry into End of Life Choices on behalf of the group 'Doctors Opposed to Euthanasia'.
The submission outlines the group's reasons for opposing assisted dying.
The full text of the submission can be accessed at http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/lsic/Submissions/Submission_588_-_Doctors_Opposed_to_Euthanasia.pdf
On February 25, 2015, the ABC's current affairs program, The Drum, published a comment by George Williams, Anthony Mason Professor of law at the University of New South Wales.
The opinion piece is titled 'Changing minds on the right to die'. In it, Williams argues for the persistence euthanasia advocates need to display if they are to bring the views of a majority of politicians into line with those of the community.
The full text of this point of view can be accessed at http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-25/williams-euthanasia/6261884
In April 2011, Current Oncology published a paper by University of Ottawa palliative care physician Jose Pereira titled 'Legalizing euthanasia or assisted suicide: the illusion of safeguards and controls'.
The article argues that controls around assisted dying do not prove adequate.
The full text of this comment can be accessed at http://www.current-oncology.com/index.php/oncology/article/view/883/645
In 1999, the University of Tasmania's Law Review published a paper by Professor Mirko Bagaric titled 'Euthanasia: Patient Autonomy Versus the Public Good'.
The paper argues that a patient's capacity to exercise self-determination is inevitably compromised in the context of terminal disease. It also argues that whatever relief is offered the terminally ill patient seeking euthanasia comes at the expense of the wider community of terminally ill patients who do not want this treatment.
The full text can be accessed at http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/UTasLawRw/1999/6.pdf
