Maxine Morand At Forefront of PAD Legislative Push

Melbourne, 2 Aug 07 -- Maxine Morand at forefront of Physician Assisted Dying legislative push.

MOUNT Waverley MP Maxine Morand will be at the forefront of a push to legalise voluntary euthanasia next year.

A bill is expected to be presented to State Parliament based on a charter of lobby group Dying With Dignity Victoria — one that allows, under safeguards, a patient to request an oral prescription to end their life.

Ms Morand, who addressed a DWDV rally on Parliament House steps last month, said her view was based on a patient's self-determination and their right to respect and dignity.

"There are excellent palliative care services in Victoria that satisfy most needs, except in some cases where palliative care doesn't relieve suffering."

Dying With Dignity Victoria claims in surveys that more than 80 per cent of Australians support voluntary euthanasia, but it has not been legalised in any Australian state or territory.

As a former nurse, she said she witnessed patients in profound pain receiving "terminal sedation'', a heavy dose of morphine for the patient to slip away into a coma.

"I wouldn't want my life to end that way and not have the chance to spend my last few hours with family around me, in peace and dignity."

DWDV claims in surveys that more than 80 per cent of Australians support voluntary euthanasia, but it has not been legalised in any Australian state or territory.

Ms Morand believed many state parliamentarians supported voluntary euthanasia "in principle", and there should be an open debate on the issue.

She said she addressed the DWDV rally because she "wanted to make them aware that there are MP's that agree with them and that there's a need for legislative change".

Liberals' Ken Smith and the Greens' Colleen Mankind also spoke at the DWDV rally.

DWDV president Neil Francis said it was possible to provide safeguards to ensure a patient's decision to die was their own.

"Suggestions that there would be family pressure on people to die is just a scare campaign. You can document a person's request."

Palliative Care Australia president Margaret O'Connor said efforts should be focused on adequate palliative care services throughout the country, rather than a euthanasia debate.

She said it was difficult to get adequate palliative care in rural and remote areas.

"We've got palliative care treatments that can meet the majority of people's needs."

She said in 20 years of working in palliative care, she had come across "two or three" patients who couldn't be relieved.

"But there's a little maxim — hard cases make bad law."

By By Cameron Lucadou-Wells, Monash Journal

Morand Withdraws -- 3 Aug 07

NEW Brumby Government minister Maxine Morand will no longer be part of the push for voluntary euthanasia laws.

Ms Morand, who will be sworn in today as the Minister for Children and Early Childhood Development, has been one of State Parliament's most vocal advocates for the change.

But, as a Cabinet minister, she will be unable to introduce a private member's Bill to legalise voluntary euthanasia.

"My personal views on voluntary euthanasia have been well known for a long time. They are my personal views," Ms Morand said yesterday.

"I will be focusing on the role the Premier has given me."

Ms Morand, a former nurse, addressed a rally in support of voluntary euthanasia on the steps of State Parliament in June.

She had discussed possible "dying with dignity" laws with Ken Smith, a Liberal MP who also supports change.

Mr Smith said the push to introduce the legislation would still go ahead.

Legislation was being drafted and would probably be presented to Parliament next year.

The Age