X-Message-Number: 6408
Date: Fri, 28 Jun 1996 08:00:46 -0700
From: David Brandt-Erichsen <>
Subject: Australia law going under

>From The Age, Melbourne, June 29

LEADERS UNITE TO OPPOSE DEATH LAW

The fate of the Northern Territory euthanasia law appears sealed after the
federal Opposition Leader, Mr Kim Beazley, yesterday joined the Prime
Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister in opposing the plans. The bipartisan
stand by the leaders has virtually assured sufficient support among MPs for
Federal Parliament to override the NT laws when the issue is debated later
this year. Further practical obstacles to the operation of the euthanasia
laws also emerged yesterday - just days before the laws are to come into
force on Monday. The NT Government warned doctors they could face
prosecution for murder or manslaughter if they helped a terminally ill
person to die before legal challenges were resolved. And in Canberra, the
Federal Government announced that euthanasia services in the NT would not be
eligible for Medicare benefits. But the Prime Minister, Mr John Howard, has
determined the Federal Government will not be directly involved in moves in
Federal Parliament to thwart the NT laws. Instead, he told Liberal MPs this
week they will be allowed a conscience vote on any private members' bill
seeking to overturn the euthanasia plan. A bill drafted by a Liberal
backbencher, Mr Kevin Andrews, which seeks to constitutionally veto the NT
legislation is expected to be debated in September. Mr Andrews's legislation
seeks to use Section 122 of the Constitution - dealing with the separation
of powers between the Commonwealth and the states and territories -to quash
the NT legislation. Mr Beazley yesterday said he hoped the NT Government
would be pressured to reconsider its legislation. The Deputy Prime Minister
and National Party leader, Mr Tim Fischer, said doctors who provided
euthanasia services would be "practitioners of death". The Health Minister,
Dr Wooldridge, told Parliament the Government had accepted advice from the
Australian Medical Association that euthanasia was unethical and clinically
inappropriate and that relevant treatment should not be eligible for
Medicare benefits. Meanwhile, the voluntary euthanasia law appeared close to
unworkable yesterday after the NT Government warned doctors they could face
prosecution for murder or manslaughter if they helped a terminally ill
person to die before legal challenges were resolved. The NT Chief Health
Officer, Dr Shirley Hendy, sent a letter to all Territory doctors advising
that if the legal challenge to the law, beginning in the Supreme Court on
Monday, was successful, "the likely effect is that the act would be invalid
from the outset".


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