Government responds to Abbott’s euthanasia cheerleading
The government says it expects Victorians will embrace groundbreaking new euthanasia laws once adopted, despite federal cheerleading for a backtrack.
Former PM Tony Abbott says he hopes future governments repeal the law, expected to be introduced in 2019 after passing through the Upper House yesterday.
“I hope that a future Victorian parliament might reverse this,” he said.
“Certainly the media profession is going to be very much diminished. Doctors should be healers, they should never be required to be killers.”
Health Minister Jill Hennessy conceded she can’t be sure that won’t happen, but she hopes the law will work smoothly once in action.
“After two and half years of cross-party political development of this law, I would hope that we will get this law in place,” she said.
“Once the controversy around it all starts to abate I think we’ll just see sensible implementation.”
“Very few people ultimately access assisted dying.”