Options for Tasmanian voters against state-sanctioned suicide have narrowed with Jacqui Lambie Network this week openly joining The Greens and Labor in promoting a euthanasia agenda.
Yesterday the Jacqui Lambie Network declared their strong commitment to legislating for euthanasia just days ahead of the Tasmanian State election.
“The Greens have promised a fresh euthanasia bill this year, and disturbingly, at last year’s state conference the ALP moved to discipline any MPs who voted against euthanasia on conscience grounds,” ACL Tasmanian director Mark Brown said.
“The ACL believes such legislation is a real threat to vulnerable Tasmanians particularly when as many as 14 per cent of those over 65 years are experiencing some form of elder abuse – usually from family members.
“This is a recipe for disaster. The potential for abuse is frightening as there simply isn’t such a thing as proven legislative safeguards. How can you ever adequately test whether a person is being coerced into agreeing to end their lives prematurely?
“We already have a significant problem in our nursing homes with residents being abused – up to 40 per cent of whom never get any visitors. Adding euthanasia to the mix is incredibly unwise.
“These threats to the vulnerable are why the Tasmanian Parliament, when allowed a conscience vote, wisely threw out legislation last year, 16 votes to eight.
“If the ALP forces its members to vote for a Greens bill later this year, there is a real chance it could make it through the lower house which has rejected such attempts in 1998, 2009, 2013 and 2017.
The ACL has a petition calling on Labor to reinstate the practice of giving its MPs a conscience vote on euthanasia as it did last year when three of its seven MPs voted against it.
“No MP should be forced to vote against their conscience on a matter of life or death”
“Life and death issues have always been afforded a conscience vote in the past.”
“Of great concern at this weekend’s election is the real possibility of a Labor government relying on the support of the Greens who have promised a euthanasia bill. With Labor MPs denied a conscience vote this, assisted suicide could become law very quickly.”
ENDS
