It’s the question the well-known media personality has been asking since watching his own father die painfully in hospital nearly 20 years ago. Now he is campaigning for assisted dying laws in Australia through his organisation Go Gentle Australia.
Travelling around Australia and to countries with assisted dying laws for the past two years, he says it is clear there is a terrible divide.
“In countries that allow such laws, people who are dying of irreversible diseases have the choice of ending their suffering, and farewelling those they love, on their terms,” he says.
“In Australia, where no law exists, many elderly Australians faced with the same irreversible diseases are either dying painfully, despite the best efforts of palliative care, or are choosing to end their lives violently and alone.”
It’s a finding supported by a recent 10-month Victorian cross-party committee enquiry. The Victorian Government will now vote on assisted dying legislation later this year.
Public support high for assisted dying
Around 70 to 80 per cent of Australians support assisted dying – yet around 50 Bills on the issue put before state parliaments in the last 20 years have all been defeated.
Why?
Andrew puts this down to two factors: conservative elements in the Church and medical profession creating a culture of fear; and too many politicians and sadly doctors not educating themselves about how these laws can work safely.
He sees an Australian law working on three bedrock principles:
- Your request must be voluntary.
- To access it, you must be a mentally competent adult. This excludes children or those with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
- You must suffer from a physical illness. This excludes purely psychiatric suffering.
At a minimum, Andrew says you should be diagnosed with a terminal illness that will cause death within 12 months.
He also sees a strong case for no time limit with some degenerative illnesses such as MS, or chronic conditions such as a massive stroke, which can create suffering that lasts for years.
Most importantly he believes it must be the patient’s choice to end their life – and rescind the request at any time. In the US state of Oregon, where VE laws have existed for almost two decades, almost 40 per cent of people who have their request approved opt not to end their life, even though they are terminally ill.
This would go hand in hand with increased funding and resources for palliative care, with assisted dying an option of last resort.
Victorian laws stand a real chance
Andrew believes the Victorian legislation has a real chance of success. Unlike previous attempts that have been put forward as private bills or small groups, this is the Government – with input from medical professionals – supporting the discussion for the law.
But he says it will need the voices of many elderly Victorians to help drive it through.
“I think too many Australians look at this issue and think that it’s such a no-brainer ‘surely the pollies will let it through’,” he says. “Unfortunately, history shows us this is not the case.”
It is us – Australia’s elderly and their families – who are the most powerful voices in this debate. We are the ones who are facing the difficult questions that come at the end of life – and the ones who stand to benefit most from a law that will give us more choice and control should the worst happen.
Call your local MP – let them know you are in favour the law and expect them to act.
You can find out more facts about voluntary euthanasia here.
Visit Go Gentle Australia here.
