Australian assisted suicide bill fails 34 to 26 in the Senate - Polidicks

A private member's bill that would have cleared the way for assisted suicide to be legalised across Australia has been defeated. The bill, introduced by Liberal Democratic Party senator David Leyonhjelm, was defeated by 36 to 34 votes after two days of impassioned debate in the Senate. It was knocked down after Liberal senator Anne Ruston and Nationals senator Steve Martin were persuaded to vote against the bill, after initially leaning in favour of it. “I cannot in good conscience offer my support to this bill which will provide the territories the ability to legislate in the area of voluntary euthanasia, certainly without ensuring that appropriate safeguards were in place,” Senator Martin told the Senate on Wednesday. Politicians from both sides of politics rose to share divergent views, with many in support of the bill emphasising the rights of Australians who live in the territories to make their own laws. The bill proposed to overturn a federal law that removed the rights of the ACT and Northern Territory to legislate on euthanasia, enacted in 1997 after the NT government briefly legalised assisted dying. ... Former AMA president Brian Owler, Denton's co-director of advocacy group Go Gentle Australia, said support for the legalisation of assisted suicide consistently polled at higher than 80 per cent, outstripping the level of community support for same-sex marriage. "This is one of those issues where, unfortunately, a number of parliaments around the country seem to be out of step with community expectations," he said. https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/leyonhjelm-s-assisted-suicide-bill-narrowly-defeated-in-senate-20180815-p4zxps.html Close enough to try again soon.

I really hate how assisted suicide is such a taboo. In many cases, people are able to confidently express their desire for death, so this whole idea of people using it to knock-off their relatives sounds like a very improbable issue. I looked up how to go to Dignitas in Switzerland because of my chronic, extreme depression and disabilities due to a previous suicide attempt, but it's 3,000 euros and unaffordable to me.

Totally agree. I find that many people assume that everybody else feels like them, but we're genuinely each unique (and I use unique properly, not in the 'more unique' way people incorrectly use it.) I'm somebody who accepts that everybody has their own, distinctive psychology and that I shouldn't dictate to them what they do with their life, assuming it's not hurting somebody else. I do think that, before assisted suicide in the case of people like me, people should probably have a 6 month cooling-off period with a psychological evaluation, just to prevent impulsive suicide, but I still think we need new legislation on this matter desperately.

My grandparents (well, it' just grandfather now) on my mothers side apparently think that legalising assisted suicide will lead to the government using it to clear out all the old folks homes. There does seems to be huge amounts of misconception around it, particularly with older people.

That's fucking retarded...

How did they react when you told them it's assisted suicide and not murder being legalize, and there is a huge process involved before it even happens?

I didn't, I heard this second hand from my mother. I also try not to make a habit of arguing with old folks, they won't change their views.

It was so close, it's bound to be passed next time. Common sense movements like these win out eventually.

Nah even more retarded: "This will lead to a pressure on disabled people to end their lives!"

My cat is dying of kidney cancer. I love her dearly, and she recently made a bit of a turn but eventually itll catch up. Its cruel to make people live past their good days, just to suffer because other people feel their morality is more important. When I see that my little one isn't enjoying her time anymore she deserves to be let go.