"The great majority of us will reach a point in time where we are forced to choose between a fight for life and the decision to accept death."

Okay, an exemption for those currently with dementia, but this is so simply dealt with… Totally respect the right of the patient to make prior decisions about themselves:

One. In the absence of an advanced care directive or medical power of attorney remove any legal entitlement of the next of kin with respect to medical decisions.

Two. Do exactly what the patient has previously said to do – if they have said nothing, then do nothing.

(One exception only – effective pain management. There is no need to be cruel, and it is mostly for the benefit of attending medical staff so they are not required to see a patient in obvious and unnecessary pain.)

If then more incentive is needed, make an ACD a pre-requisite for a valid driver's licence?

by age 85, half of that cohort will be grappling with alzheimer's, and the other half with thinking about a living will, or ACD, or some directions to be given to carers about how to manage them in their final moments.

As for myself, I do not wish to have any heroic efforts on anyone's part to prolong my life at enormous expense, and after i'm gone, i expect either a funeral at sea, under the nearest eucalypt or river red gum, and in a plain cardboard or newspaper carton. And skip the bells and whistles, like eulogies and perorations, just get on with it and get back to business.

The medical profession is between a rock & a hard place, not only are practitioners required by their Hippocratic oath to preserve life, they run a considerable risk of being attacked by the legal system if they so much as think about assisting a patient to pull the plug. Ssme applies to friends/ family / whoever, regardless of the wishes of a patient, any 'assistance' is dealt with severely. Interestingly, major religions in favour of gay marriage also oppose assisted termination & abortion when in reality all are contrary to the principles in which they ostensibly believe. One can only conclude the over-riding objective is retaining as many of the captive flock as possible.

As for individual right to decided whether or not to stay above ground or to start pushing up daisies, I don't believe politicians have any right to dictate, certainly not from their own individual or party perspective. This matter is only one of many in which the will of the majority of the sheeple should be heard, and even then there is a good case for individuals to have a right to over-ride 'official' directives. Whatever any religious or moral imperatives, observance of these should be up to individuals rather than do-gooders or politicians.

Here is a great podcast from the ABC's Law Report on just this issue.
Broadcast on Tuesday 14 May 2013.

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lawreport/advanced-care-plans/4686164