In response to the story of Aina Ranke in today's media (details HERE) NSW Upper and Lower House MPs have committed to pursuing the Rights of the Terminally Ill Bill jointly sponsored in the Lower House by Greens Member for Balmain Jamie Parker, Independent Member for Sydney Alex Greenwich and Independent Member for Lake Macquarie Greg Piper and in the Upper House by Greens MP Dr Mehreen Faruqi

Greens MP Dr Mehreen Faruqi said:

“Allowing a person to suffer when nothing can be done to help their pain is cruel. Everyone should have the choice to end their suffering in peace and with dignity. There is clear public support for a compassionate legal framework to allow voluntary assisted euthanasia to ensure tragedies like this never have to happen again.”

 Independent Member for Sydney Alex Greenwich said:

“So many tragic stories prove that reform with strong regulations is vitally important to many families across NSW.  We need a system where people with a terminal illness, whose pain and suffering can no longer be alleviated, have access to all compassionate options including palliative care and voluntary euthanasia.”

"The international experience shows us that in countries with voluntary euthanasia, those with a terminally illness are more likely to reach out to a doctor to discuss their options ranging from new treatments and palliative care to dying with dignity, rather than desperately taking their own life in secret"

Independent Member for Lake Macquarie Greg Piper said:

“As a mature educated society, I believe that we should be able to accept the right of a person to determine the time of their own death, when they freely and with sound mind, choose to do so on the basis that due to illness and suffering, their life affords little or no quality of life, and is no longer bearable to them.  With appropriate legislative and societal checks and balances, voluntary euthanasia would respect a person’s right to self- determine this most important part of their life; it would allow a choice to die with dignity.”

NSW Parliament is expected to re-visit the legislation later in this year or early next year. The Coalition parties and the Labor Party have a conscience vote on the issue.
 

For more information contact Mr Greenwich on 9360 3053 or Mehreen Faruqi on 9230 2194.