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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

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

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?

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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

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Support for reform has been in the majority for decades.

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

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

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

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

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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.

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