Euthanasia 'a matter of when, not if' in SA


AAP
October 29, 2009 10:16am

• • SOUTH Australia's parliament has moved closer than ever before to legalising voluntary euthanasia.

A voluntary euthanasia bill passed the SA Upper House early today, with its author saying the proposal will become law - it's just a matter of when.

Greens MLC Mark Parnell's voluntary euthanasia bill passed a second reading in the Upper House 11 votes to 10 in a conscience vote about 1am (CDT) today.

"The important symbolic thing is that a House of a state parliament has passed, at the second reading, a bill for voluntary euthanasia," Mr Parnell said.

"It's as far as any bill has ever got (in South Australia).

"But the final hurdle will be a difficult one. It's the committee stage of the debate - we have to, as a parliament, agree clause by clause."

If passed, the bill then goes to the state's Lower House for a vote to determine if it becomes law.

Mr Parnell's bill stretches existing laws on medical treatment rather than create new stand-alone regulations.






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