Sorry I cut off that link, this one should work:

http://www.minvws.nl/en/folders/ibe/euthanasia_the_netherlands_new_rules.asp

I believe it was Kevin Andrews who torpedoed the Northern Territory's euthanasia laws.
Chris Pyne's always been locked in step with Andrews, along with Minchin, Abbott and the rest of the hardcore staunch conservatives of the old guard.

Having sat with my father through his last awful days last year, I realised that what I'd suspected is actually true - the way that hospitals manage the death of terminally ill patients is a form of drawn-out euthanasia. The problem is that it takes so long that the patient is progressively stripped of all dignity and autonomy, then left to hover in a semi-conscious state until they finally succumb to an overdose of anaesthetic.

It took me a couple of days to work out the unwritten rules of how this awful game is played out - you can speed up the process by saying that the patient is in pain or discomfort, and demanding that the attending nurses increase the amount of 'pain relief' in the drip. I think I saved my old man a few days of needless suffering by hanging at his bedside and constantly requesting that his anaesthetic was increased, until he finally overdosed and died.

I recall thinking to myself how needlessly cruel the process was, and how fortunate I was to be able to be there to help speed the process up. What happens to people who die alone in hospital?

We already have a form of euthanasia, but it's typically in the hands of nursing staff, who decided how much anaesthetic to administer and when to administer it. Ironically, once a patient is no longer lucid, they play no part in the decision-making process and may hover in a state of unconsciousness for quite some time before they finally expire.

I think that's wrong.

CJ

No-one, not you, your father or anyone should have to go through an ordeal like that ever. We do better with our pets than we do with ourselves.

TRTL

Thank you for your kind words, I apologise for the being a bit sooky, I am not all that well ATM and I had put in a lot of effort in trying to reach some level of communication with HRS on the "give women a fair go" thread. As a result my head got very sore. I should've known better. Any way I am feeling better today.

I was very disappointed that both Abbott and Pyne got their seats back after the Fed Election - two self-righteous gits who get all their morals from primitive superstition. Control freaks both. The sooner the Liberal Party divests itself of its extreme right-wing the sooner we can work towards a more humane and egalitarian Australia.

Yeah, I wasn't at all happy to see Andrews, Abbott and Pyne return to the fray, but I was rather bemused that Pyne seemed to think he had the potential to be a deputy leader, and was promptly disabused of this notion.

It's not likely the pompous git with the quavering voice will get the spot, though good luck to him - if he gets anywhere near the leadership, the Libs can kiss any hopes at re-election goodbye.

For my two bob, Andrews has always been the more objectionable of the lot. Between his personal crusade to remove the NT euthanasia laws, and the fact that he managed to make Vanstone look like a compassionate immigration minister by comparison... not to mention the whole 'Sudan' and 'Haneef' fiascos, heck, it was one ignorant cockup after another.

I was rather amused to see he didn't even get a token ministry spot. As blatant snubs go, it was quite eloquent.

But I digress...

CJ, you make a good point there - without any euthanasia laws, it seems quite likely to me that it just means that unsanctioned euthanasia will still take place, via other means, which begs the question whether we're just encouraging it to occur without proper checks and balances.

"There is a very real danger in my mind that there will be increasing pressure, both subtle and not so subtle, on older people to take the euthanasia option whether or not they wish to do so. With hospital beds and nursing home places in short supply, which they undoubtedly will be by then, except for those with the means to pay the high prices that will be needed to secure them, the pressure not to be a burden and take up precious space will I think become quite difficult to counter, especially for those without the means and the family support."
Posted by Bronwyn, Thursday, 20 March 2008 3:01:58 PM

I think this comment is outstanding. It was something I had given little thought to, but it HAS to be acknowledged.

Having said that; this IS something that MUST be recognized. Because of the 'civilized' nature of the Homo Sapien; we allow suffering far beyond compassion and clearly into cruelty.

When they run out of band-aids for me, I have absolutely no intention of enduring increasing suffering and frailty. It won't happen. I have no fear of death, but DO fear extreme pain, and frankly old age itself!

I'll be literally damned if any silly constriction placed upon me by our dumb politicians/Gummint will deter me from a dignified exit.

Celivia; may gentleness and tranquility be with your Aunt.