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Senators Viewpoint
Many of the more conscientious Senators have written back. I have included selected comments from their letters below. As you can see, Senators do care about what we write, and it does make a difference.
| Sandy Macdonald New South Wales | I do not support active voluntary euthanasia for many reasons, several of which you have raised in your letter. I also do not believe adequate safeguards could ever be established to ensure there would never be a dispute over free and voluntary consent. I strongly support Kevin Andrews Private Members Bill that will amend the Northern Territory (Self Government) Act 1978 and override euthanasia legislation. |
| Brian Harradine Tasmania | Senator Harradine has asked me to thank you for your recent letter concerning the Euthanasia Bill which will be debated in the Senate during this session. For your information I enclose a copy of an article which contains Senator's thoughts on euthanasia. He has suggested that you contact all Senators from New South Wales and urge them to support the legislation. |
| Grant Chapman South Australia | As a matter of conscience and after listening to the public debate on euthanasia, particularly adter the death by lethal injection of South Australian Mrs Janet Mills, I will be supporting the "Andrews Bill" when it comes up for debate in the Senate. It is interesting to note that the first two people to take advantage of the Northern Territory legislation to hasten their deaths were not from the Northern Territory. I do not believe that one Territorial jurisdiction has the right to legislate for the whole of Australia. I can understand why some people believe that voluntary euthanasia is acceptable, particularly in what appears to be hopeless circumstances for some people to continue living. However, my personal belief is that we should upgrade and extend current palliative care measures to bring these people comfort. |
| Nick Minchin South Australia | Thank you for your recent correspondence, regarding voluntary euthanasia. Your concerns about this legislation reflect my own. The Private Members Bill to override this legislation in the Federal Parliament will be treated as a conscience basis when it is introduced into the Senate during this year's first sitting period. However, I am sure many of my colleagues have also been made aware of the moral and religious issues involved with voluntary euthanasia. |
| Julian McGauran Victoria | Thank you for your letter in support of Kevin Andrews' Private Members Bill to overturn the Northern Territory's Euthanasia Act. The Northern Territory's Euthanasia legislation will disrupt the social and moral norms of our society. Therefore I am fully supportive of Mr Andrews Bill. For your information I have enclosed a speech I delivered in the Senate concerning the euthanasia issue. |
| Jacinta Collins Victoria | Thank you for your recent letter concerning Euthanasia. I, too, have some concerns with legislation allowing euthanasia in any form. |
| Mark Bishop Western Australia | The concerns you expressed in your letter reflect my own. I am opposed to the main thrust of the Northern Territory legislation. I am co-sponsoring the Euthanasia Laws Bill in the Senate. This means I support the main thrust of the Bill and will vote accordingly. I will consider your views when I am speaking in favour of the Bill. |
| John Herron Queensland | A few years ago I made a speech to the NSW Liberal Womens' Council in Sydney a copy of which is enclosed. My views have not changed since then. I am in support of Kevin Andrew's Bill. I have sent copies of this paper to all Federal Members and Senators. |
| Barney Cooney Victoria | I enclose a speech I made in the Senate on 21st June 1995, just over 19 months ago. I would be interested in your comments."...because of the culture I have grown up in, myreligion, the philosophy I find to be true, my instincts, my emotions and my logic, I am against making euthanasia legal. This is afree, democratic and multicultural society; it should be kept that way. Many people in Australia take a view of things widely different from mine. While the community must accommodate this diversity, clearly there are some things society treats as going beyond the bounds of what it can accept. " |
| Bill Heffernan New South Wales |
Thank you for your correspondence regarding your support for the Euthanasia Bill 1996 (Kevin Andrews Private Members Bill), currently before the Senate. As a participating member of the Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee, I have listened to and considered both sides of the debate. The Committee shall present its report to the Parliament on March 7. During the Senate debate on March 18, 19 and 20, I will be supporting the Bill. |
| Bill O'Chee Queensland |
You may be pleased to know that I agree with the arguments you have presented and oppose the legislation of euthanasia in this country. As a consequence I expect I will be voting in support of the Private Member's Bill when it comes before the Senate early this year. The effect of the Bill will be to amend the Northern Territory (Self Government) Act 1978 so as to remove the Northern Territory Government's power to allow euthanasia to be utilised. Under Section 122 the Federal Government has the constitutional right to override the Northern Territory Government on any matter. It is because the legislation of euthanasia is an issue of national concern that its legal status must be determined by our Federal Parliament.
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| Jeannie Ferris South Australia |
My recent visit to Darwin with this Committee confirmed my view that this is a very devisive issue in the Northen Territory, with strong views on either side. Any Federal resolution will require careful consideration to ensure that the views of the community are taken into account and in particular there is no threat to Aboriginal health. I am concerned about what euthanasia might mean for the provision of aged care health services, especially in a time of budgetary constraint, which is particularly important given Australia's aging population. Other issues raised directly with me include questions about how we protect the terminally ill, handicapped and frail elderly people from exploitation; how we deal with the pressures legalised euthanasia places upon both patients, their families and health professionals; and what message a society that allows people to seek their own deaths sends out to its citizens, particularly its young people. The debate is inevitably touched by the experiences we have all had with our own aging family members. I am also concerned that legislation giving "rights" to one group may in fact remove "rights" from another. |
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