South Australia - euthanasia and 'medical defence'

Labor MP Steph Key pushed through the second reading of her bill [Criminal Law Consolidation (Medical Defences-End of Life Arrangements) Amendment Bill 2011] which is aimed at providing 'medical defences' to doctors who might be accused of ending a patient's life prematurely by giving medication.

The Bill was debated ONE sitting day after the Bill was put into Parliament and was passed "on the voices". Ros Phillips of FamilyVoice reported that, on 7 April 2011, when the Bill came to be considered in the 'Committee stage', Steph Key asked for debate to be adjourned until Thursday 5 May, 2011.

The media coverage the day before highlighted the concerns many people have about the flawed Bill. A number of prominent Adelaide doctors have opposed the Bill.

The Bill has since come back into the SA House of Assembly for further debate.

The Bill was put again and passed 'on the voices' at the 'Second reading' stage, without a vote, around the beginning of August.

The Bill will return for the Committee stage, where each part is debated and amendments are put, at the end of September, 2011.

A third reading vote will then be taken.

ACTION 

Please pray that the Bill is defeated.

If you live in South Australia, please contact your MPs (1 in House of Assembly and ALL in the Legislative Council).

Ask them to oppose this Bill.

Click here for SA MP details.  

Click here for more information on opposing the legalisation of euthanasia.

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Background...  

The current situation regarding 'euthanasia' in SA...
Several euthanasia bill have been put into the SA parliament over the past few years but none have passed.

The current Bill is aimed at getting support on a seemingly 'lesser matter' of people dying from medication given and giving doctors some form of legal 'defence.

An article in The Advertiser in March 2011 was about the Health Minister, John Hill, saying how palliative care assisted his sister in her last week of life when she was dying from cancer...

BUT Palliative Care is NOT euthanasia.  

The current Bill, on a 'medical defence', is being promoted by people who support full euthanasia - it is the 'thin end of the wedge'!

This statement from the article reveals all... "Labor MP Steph Key, author of the proposed laws, said this proposal was receiving more support than similar previous proposals."  

'Previous proposals' were actually about euthanasia - by describing this new Bill as 'similar' we see the real intention of the proposed law - to introduce a law that leads toward the legalisation of euthanasia.

A Poll was run along with the article: it had the question: "Should euthanasia be legalised?"
At April 27, 2011 the vote was 49.6% 'Yes' and 48.5% 'No'.
Please click here and vote 'NO'!
The Poll is about half way down the article on the left side...
Send this to all your friends and ask them to vote 'NO' as well!

In February 2011, an article about the proposed Bill carried a Poll with the SAME question:
The result in that Poll (still open to vote) is 75% saying 'NO'.

It shows how important it is for us to vote - as well as the influence that a 'soft story' has on the vote (see details below). Although these polls are not 'scientific' they are often taken as being indicative of public sentiment on an issue...