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Church condemns euthanasia bill

25 May, 2009 07:16 AM
THE Anglican Church has condemned the latest bid to legalise voluntary euthanasia, while new polling has shown that three- quarters of Tasmanians want the option.

Bishop John Harrower said he strongly opposed Tasmanian Greens Leader Nick McKim's Dying With Dignity Bill, and encouraged MPs to vote against it for the betterment of Tasmania.

The bill will be tabled in Parliament tomorrow but it is not expected to be debated until at least August.

All parties have indicated that they would give their members a conscience vote.

Mr McKim claims his bill reflects community values and yesterday released a privately commissioned EMRS poll that showed 78 per cent of Tasmanians would support voluntary euthanasia laws, up from 75 per cent last year.

He said there were a number of safeguards in his bill to protect the community, requiring the terminally ill person to be assessed by a psychiatrist, have second medical opinions on their condition and also be a resident of Tasmania for at least 12 months.

But Bishop Harrower said that even with safeguards he still had "alarm bells going off" in his head, as only God had the right to take life.

"Going down the pathway of euthanasia is literally a way to death, not to life for our society - and it will bring great harm to Tasmania," he said.

Lyons Liberal MHA Rene Hidding also said Mr McKim had to treat the issue with more respect, and called for the bill to be referred to a standing committee of inquiry.

Mr Hidding is the last sitting MP who was involved in the 1998 euthanasia inquiry, which received 1162 submissions.

He fears Tasmania could become a haven for elderly people looking for an option out if the bill was passed.

"We want people to come to Tasmania because it's a beautiful place to live, not an easy place to die," Mr Hidding said.

"To think you can bring on a quick debate and bang it through Parliament on the shallow basis that there is popular support for it is either naive or arrogant thinking."

Premier David Bartlett also expressed disappointment, believing the bill could be defeated as MPs would not have enough time to scrutinise the bill.

"I suspect what the Tasmanian community would like to see is more time and more understanding around a more comprehensive debate on this issue," he said.

Mr McKim said he would not bring on debate until all MPs were informed and has offered private briefings.

"It's time that member of Parliament showed moral courage by being prepared to vote on the bill," Mr McKim said.

"I have a firm belief the current law is wrong and it needs to be changed.

"I don't want this to be a battle - I want this to be a genuine respectful debate about how terminally ill people suffering intolerably are currently prevented from dying with dignity."

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Date: Newest first | Oldest first
Bishop Harrower said "only God had the right to take life." God is within all things. Each individual has a degree of conscious contact with God. If an individual decides that it is God's will that they return from whence they came, the body to the earth and the soul to God; what right do men who wear dresses and rape children have to tell them they can not die and thus deny God's will for them? The church can no longer stand in moral judgment of man as the church has failed to act morally.
Posted by Geoffrey, 25/05/2009 9:40:59 AM
"Party members to be given a conscience vote" This is a total betrayal of the electorate. With the exception of a few independents, members are elected because of the party they represent, not because of their personal beliefs (which indeed are generally not known to the electorate). To then allow those members to vote on the basis of their personal beliefs that were never a matter for consideration by the electorate, is a complete travesty. The elected members have no part to play in matters on which their parties have no policy. In these cases there is only one way that a valid result can be obtained, and that is by referendum of the entire electorate, with the result binding on the parliament.
Posted by ex-Launcestonite, 25/05/2009 10:19:47 AM
"But Bishop Harrower said that even with safeguards he still had "alarm bells going off" in his head, as only God had the right to take life." God is a construct of the Christian Church and hardly a universal belief. As far as I'm concerned 'god' doesn't exist, so why should my death be any of the church's business? Old age and disease have the right to take life, god or no god.
Posted by dog, 25/05/2009 11:39:38 AM
The problem with rushing through a bill for voluntary euthanasia without proper review and debate on it , is , that without proper safeguards it could become a bill for involuntary euthanasia . For example if someone is declared incapable of making such a decision for psychiatric or medical reasons , who decides for them ? Would someone who has cancer and is diagnosed as depressive be allowed to have themselves euthanaised ? The polititians who could pass this law and the public who could be on the recieving end of it need to know BEFORE passing the bill
Posted by Waylander, 25/05/2009 6:37:59 PM
"Moral" and "Immoral" are defined by majority opinion in any society. Therefore, this survey shows that euthanasia is quite moral. The god-botherers can order their flocks of sheeple not to kill themselves, but they have no right to force their superstitions on everybody else. Get out of the bloody way, men-in-frocks!
Posted by fedup, 25/05/2009 10:25:42 PM
The church and state must remain separate. The church does not represent my wishes, that the governments job. If the do gooder have a problem with this, then do not have any thing to do with it. Dont assume you have the right to decide what is right for me and others though. That blatantly arrogant.
Posted by andy1565, 26/05/2009 9:34:02 PM
Three-quarters of Tassie's population opt for suicide? Is the place really that bad?
Posted by kb, 27/05/2009 11:03:42 AM
What bigots we have in our community. Those of the religions of atheism and or secular humanism think they have a monopoly on public opinion. They are in fact in the minority. There are many Christians who are not of the Catholic faith. I feel this is not a time for unbelievers to push their beliefs or lack of them down the throats of others. We all need to give intelligent consideration to this vitally important issue - should we permit murder or encourage suicide?? (Simple as that, let us not dress it up in fancy clothes). Remember - if one person dies because of this bill and it was against their will - and that could very well happen - it is a blight on our community.
Posted by Not a Catholic, 27/05/2009 3:46:08 PM
I wish Greens MP Nick McKim well in his efforts to have parliamentary debate on euthanasia, and even more importantly, have the debate lead to the result where voluntary euthanasia, with strong safeguards against abuse, is available as a legal option to those with a hopeless or terminal illness. Here in South Australia, we have recently formed a group, Christians Supporting Choice for Voluntary Euthanasia, with the aim of showing our MPs there are thinking Christians included in the 4 out of 5 people in Australia who support having the choice of having an assisted death, when faced with a hopeless or terminal illness and pain that cannot be relieved. (Newspoll 2007). We seek to counter the vocal Christian minority who oppose what we perceive as compassionate and caring legislation. Currently before our Parliament is a Bill to have voluntary euthanasia included as an option in our Palliative Care Act, to cover cases when good palliative care is not effective. As in Tasmania, many MPs seem afraid to debate this important social issue. Ten years experience with Physician assisted Dying in Oregon, USA has shown a system that assists the dying, with no evidence of abuse, and the best palliative care available in USA – surely a win for everybody. Ian Wood, Co-ordinator: Christians Supporting Choice for Voluntary Euthanasia
Posted by Ian Wood, Port Pirie, 28/05/2009 11:03:07 AM
I am a Christian who fully supports choice for voluntary euthanasia. I believe that God gave us the intelligence and ethics / Spirit to rationally devise a way to end incurable and untreatable pain. Palliative Care is wonderful, but does not work for EVERY painful illness. We need to give those with the need AND the will, the opportunity to die with dignity and comfort, not to prolong pain as a form of Hell on Earth. People say that only God has the right to take a life, but those same people very readily allow the Medical Profession to prolong life, when otherwise God would claim it. It is a hypocritical argument. Remember, we are not asking for euthanasia to be compulsory, but merely to be a discrete option. Safeguards such as a pre-existing Advance Care Directive and 2 or 3 medical specialists agreeing that the conditions in that Directive have been met will prevent murder. We have the technology and sophistication to manage Euthanasia to prevent abuse. I agree with the reader that calls for a State referendum that is binding on the Parliament. This is the only fair way to resolve this debate.
Posted by NSW Christian for VE, 28/05/2009 8:37:07 PM
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