Assisted dying Bill before parliament includes safeguards to prevent encouraging euthanasia

A EUTHANASIA scheme could be operating in Victoria by mid-2019, with proposed legislation to be introduced parliament today.

Doctors who raise the prospect of euthanasia with patients would face an investigation for professional misconduct.

A EUTHANASIA scheme could be operating in Victoria by mid-2019, with proposed legislation to be introduced parliament today.

The Bill sets out end-of-life options for terminally ill Victoria with less than a year to live.

ASSISTED DYING BILL IN SIGHT OF VICTORIAN PARLIAMENT

NICK CARR: GPS BEST PLACED TO MAKE LIFE AND DEATH DECISIONS

Premier Daniel Andrews said that the proposed system — with 68 “safeguards” — was the most conservative, careful and safest in the world.

He said one terminally ill person a week attempted to or took their own life.

“It is my judgment that we owe it to so many people to do some much better than that,” Mr Andrews said.

“This is an important reform, one we need to make.

“We all have our own personal experience, we all bring a sense of emotion and careful contemplation to debates like this. They are intensely personal.

“For me, if you can put in place the right safeguards which we have in these legislative arrangements, then my judgement is that it is simply not right to deny people the opportunity to have the ultimate say over the end of their journey.”

Health Minister Daniel Andrews and Premier Daniel Andrews. Picture: AAP

The proposed laws require a terminally ill person to make three clear requests to end their life and approval from two doctors — one specialising in the illness the person is suffering.

They would also limit the option to people of sound mind, ruling out those suffering dementia.

Those approved would be given a “permit” to self-administer lethal drugs, with doctors only able to dish out the dose when a person is physically unable.

Doctors, family or friends face life in prison if they administer the substances in circumstances where the terminally ill patient has a permit to manage it themselves.

Those who “improperly induce” a person to seek to die face hefty fines and up the five years in prison.

It is not yet clear what medications will be used to end people’s lives.

Attorney-General Martin Pakula.

Health Minister Jill Hennessy said most permit applications were expected to come from Victorians with cancer and progressive neurological diseases.

She said current laws were causing “cruel” deaths.

“It’s the quiet voices of the vulnerable, of the dying that need to be heard,” she said.

The Herald Sun revealed in July that the proposed laws had split the government with Deputy Premier James Merlino set to vote against the Bill.

In a survey of all 128 Victorian MPs, 28 said they would vote “yes”, 13 vowed to oppose the legislation and 15 were undecided.

The Greens and Reason parties confirmed they would both back the Bill.

Nurse Kelly Arnett-Somerville campaigned for all MPs to support the legislation after watching her mother, Eileen Keogh, suffer from the rare disease, Amyloidosis, for two years.

Ms Keogh, 63, died when a burst ulcer caused her to “drown in her own blood” in hospital.

“My mum died what I call the aptimoe of a bad death,” Ms Arnett-Somerville said.

“She was the most important patient I ever and I could not help her.

“I will live with that for the rest of my life.”

The legislation will be introduced to Parliament today, before debate kicks off during the next sitting week in three weeks.

Mr Andrews said he hoped the Bill would pass Parliament by the end of the year.

The scheme would take 18 months to roll out across the state.

[e-mail]