ambassadors lead call for law reform

Ambassadors Lead Call for Law Reform

   

 

We as Ambassadors for law reform say:

For decades the majority of Australians have believed that those who are suffering intolerably from a terminal or advanced stage of an incurable illness should have the legal right to request and obtain medical assistance to end their lives with dignity. Today, 85% of Australians believe it should be a fundamental right. A responsible Act of Parliament will enable that right, with safeguards."

We say to the Parliament, Let’s Get on with it. Legislation lags behind the will of the people. Bring this issue to a conscience vote and demonstrate that this is an enlightened society.

 


 


Phillip Adams AO
Journalist, broadcaster


Yvonne Allen
HR consultant


Lyn Allison
Former Senator


Valma Angliss AM
Founding member ISPO


Bettina Arndt
Therapist, author


Ron Barassi AM
Football legend


Greg Barns
Barrister, Columnist


Prof. Peter Baume AC
Former Senator, former Chancellor ANU


Layne Beachley
Surfing legend


Prof. David Beanland AO
Retired Vice-Chancellor RMIT


Rev. Trevor Bensch
Minister of religion


Dr Kym Bonython AC,BFC,AFS,KCSJ
Entrepeneur


Henry Bosch AO
Former Chairman NCSC


Em. Prof. Freda Briggs AO
Researcher and educator


Bob Brown
Senator and Australian Greens leader


Julian Burnside QC
Barrister and author


Dr Leslie Cannold
Bioethicist,
researcher, writer


Dr Moss Cass
Doctor, surgeon and researcher (retired)


Tricia Caswell
Sustainability expert


Prof. Simon Chapman
Public Health Researcher and Advocate - FASSA


Hon. Robin Chapple
MLC for the Mining & Pastoral Region, WA


Hon. Stephen Charles QC
Justice of Appeal, Supreme Court (Vic, retired)


Prof. Max Charlesworth AO
Philosopher


Prof. Alf Clark
Social scientist


Peter Cundall AM
Former host, ABC
'Gardening Australia'


Kenneth Davidson
Co-editor of Dissent and a contrubutor to The Age


Rev. Dr Craig de Vos
Minister - Nth Adelaide Baptist Church


Catherine Deveny
Writer and humorist


Anne Deveson
Writer, broadcaster,
documentary maker


The Hon. John Dowd AO QC
Educator; Supreme Court Judge (NSW, retired)


Denise Drysdale
TV personality


Dr Ilsa Evans
Author


Hon. Elizabeth Evatt AC
Legal leader


Dr June Factor
Writer


Dr Hon. Malcolm Fraser
AC CH

Former Prime Minister


Mrs Tamara Fraser AO
Founding President
The Australia Fund


Julia Freebury
Civil Libertarian Activist


Patrick Galvin AM
Former Federal Department Secretary


Max Gillies AM
Actor and TV personality


Brian Goldsmith
Entrepreneur


Sandy Gore
Actress


Dr R. Julian Hafner
Doctor, FRANZCP


Prof. The Hon. George Hampel AM QC
Supreme Court Judge
(Victoria, retired)


Robert Hewett
Playwright


Janet Holmes à Court AC
Businesswoman


David & Maya Hume OAM
Industrialists and philanthropists


Dr David Hunt
Cardiologist, FRACP, FACC, FCSANZ, RFD


Dr Roger Hunt
Palliatve Care specialist - GDPH, FAChPM


Peter Isaacson AM
Publisher


Dr Warren Johnson AM
Doctor, FRACS, FACS


Dr Rosemary Jones
Gynaecologist, FRCOG


Hon. Sandra Kanck
Former MLC,
South Australia


Prof. David Kelly
Former Chair,
Victorian Law Reform Commission


Prof. Helga Kuhse
Philosopher and
bioethics researcher


Dr Murray Lloyd
FRACP, Consultant
Geriatrician (retired)


Hon. Rod Mackenzie OAM
Former Victorian Minister


Rev. Dr Francis Macnab AM
Executive Minister,
St Michael's on Collins


Hon. Ian Macphee AO
Former Federal Minister


Eve Mahlab OA
Businesswoman


Iola Mathews OAM
Author


Lindsay McDougall
Writer


Judith McGrath
Actress


Prof. Peter McIntyre AO
Leading architect


Gordon Moffatt AM
Former Deputy Mayor,
Melbourne


The Hon. Jocelyn Newman
Former Senator and Minister


Assoc. Prof. Neville Pamment
Biochemical engineer, Univ. of Melbourne (retired)


Kirk Pengilly
INXS Rock Band Musician


Frank Penhalluriack
Councillor and retail reformer


Marshall Perron
Former Chief Minister of
the Northern Territory


Anne Phelan OAM
Actress


Prof. Peter and Mrs Rae Pierce, AM
Author and academic, Monash University, school principal (retired)


Adrian Price
Christians Supporing Choice for VE


Chris Puplick AM
Former Senator


Rev. Kenneth Ralph
Minister of religion
(retired), counsellor


Susan Lady Renouf
Social identity


Nick Renton AM
Awarded author
(in memoriam)


Bill Richmond
MSDIA MAICD


Roland Rocchiccioli
Entertainer
and writer


Prof. Doreen Rosenthal AO
Hon. Professorial Fellow, Uni. of Melbourne, FASSA


Jennifer Ross AO
Former Exec. Dir.
Haemophilia Fed. Of Aust.


Dr Harry Rundle
Surgeon, FRACS, FRCS, FRCSE


Hon. Chris Schacht
Former Senator & Minister


Prof. Peter Singer
Philosopher and ethicist


Rev. Bernarr Haydn Stevens
Minister of religion


Mrs C. Rosemarie Stevens
Registered nurse


Major Gen. Alan Stretton
AO CBE

Australian of Year
1975


Anne Summers AO
Journalist and author


Dr Rodney Syme
Urologist surgeon


Geoffrey Tulloch
Victorian Police
Superintendent (retired)


Prof. Merrilyn Walton
Professor of Medical Education


Dr David Warren AO
Scientist, inventor, FAIE
(in memoriam)


Prof. Colin Wendell-Smith AO
Deputy VC U. Tas. (retired), Founder U3A Hobart


Prof. John Willoughby
Neurologist, Flinders University, FRACP


Ian Wood
Co-founder, Christians
for Voluntary
Euthanasia

   

 

 
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Are you a recognised Australian and want to join the growing list of respected ambassadors for
responsible law reform to allow physician assisted dying for the terminally ill?
Send us a message
 

 

Sign up here

 
Are you a recognised Australian and want to join the growing list of respected ambassadors for
responsible law reform to allow physician assisted dying for the terminally ill?
Send us a message

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ministers Agree

"While there have been significant advances in medicine and palliative care, many people with terminal illness continue to experience intolerable suffering and the loss of their faculties and, as a consequence, greatly reduced quality of life.

I am supportive of the right of people with a terminal illness, with no reasonable chance of recovery, to end their own lives at a time of their choosing as a matter of principle."

The Hon. Gavin Jennings
Vic. Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Minister Innovation.

Maxine Morand
Minister for Vic. Early Childhood Development and Minister for Women's Affairs, agrees with this principle.

 

 

"I can assure you that people who are suffering and want to access voluntary euthanasia have my sympathies and support. In Parliament, I voted against the Euthanasia Laws Act 1997, which overturned the Northern Territory's Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995.

The Hon. Jenny Macklin
Fed. Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

 

 

 

 

 

Did you know?

 

•  

Supporters for this reform include:

 

85% of Australians

• 

Three out of four Catholics

• 

Four out of five Anglicans

• 

Nine out of ten Australians who practice no faith
 

Support for reform has been in the majority for decades.
 

With no legal alternative available, four elderly Australians take their lives by violent and undignified means every week.
 

More Australian doctors believe the law should be reformed than believe it shouldn't.
 

Responsible reform allows sufferers, doctors and other healthcare workers to participate or not participate accordign to their conscience.
 

The right to choose is already available in Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and the USA states of Oregon, Washington and Montana.
 

Not everyone who passes the safeguard checks for physician assisted dying goes on to use it (one out of three doesn't). The mere availability of choice provides relief from psychological distress about the possible deterioration of health tomorrow.
 

In these jurisdictions, the quality of palliative care has improved, not deteriorated.

 

 

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