Victoria AMA criticises federal president over insensitive assisted dying tweets
The Victorian branch of the Australian Medical Association has criticised its federal president Dr Michael Gannon after he disrespected politicians who told stories of their parents’ painful deaths during the voluntary assisted dying debate.
On Tuesday politicians began debating the voluntary assisted dying bill in the lower house, on which they will have a conscience vote. The debate went past midnight and is expected to go into Friday. If it passes the lower house it is almost certain to pass the upper house, where a majority of politicians support it.
The debate has included harrowing personal accounts from politicians of watching their loved ones die in agony, and they also shared stories from their constituents who described how their loved ones resorted to taking their own lives to stop the intolerable pain caused by chronic and incurable conditions. The premier, Daniel Andrews, spoke of losing his own father to cancer, while the health minister Jill Hennessy’s mother died of multiple sclerosis, a condition of the nervous system, just weeks ago.
It prompted the federal president of the AMA, Dr Michael Gannon to tweet: “Don’t forever alter society ‘coz few powerful people see parent die.” He included a link to a comment piece published in the conservative publication the Spectator titled “Victoria’s euthanasia bill is not safe”.
He also tweeted his refusal to call the matter “voluntary assisted dying”. “It’s called #Euthanasia #Physician AssistedSuicide. Dressing it up, sanitising it #VAD is called Euphemasia,” he wrote.
The official position of the AMA is that while doctors should not be involved in interventions that end a person’s life, “laws in relation to euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are ultimately a matter for society and government”.
The position also states that if governments do consider assisted dying legislation, then doctors should be involved to ensure safeguards are put in place and that concerns from the medical profession are considered. The Victorian branch worked cooperatively with the government in the formation of the bill now before parliament.
“AMA Victoria holds that these tweets reflect Dr Michael Gannon’s personal views on euthanasia and are not consistent with the AMA’s position,” the statement issued on Wednesday said.
“AMA Victoria apologises to the premier of Victoria, the Victorian minister for health, AMA members and others who have lost a parent and were offended by the AMA president’s Twitter comments.
“While the AMA believes that doctors should not be involved in interventions that have as their primary intention the ending of a person’s life, the AMA’s policy also recognises that there are diverse views on this issue within the medical profession, and acknowledges that laws in relation to euthanasia are ultimately a matter for society and government.
“AMA Victoria hopes that the tone of the parliamentary and public debate is based on respect and fairness for others’ opinions.”
Gannon’s tweets prompted a swift backlash, with one doctor, Dr Sally Cockburn, writing; “@amapresident your comment is cruel amp; disrespectful. As AMA member I’m disappointed amp; apologise to @JillHennessyMP (lost her mum recently)“. Supporters of assisted dying are cautiously confident the bill will pass the assembly later this week, but acknowledge the votes are tight with at least three MPs continuing to reserve their positions even after speaking on the bill. There are still a number who are yet to declare how they will vote.
Nationals MP Emma Kealy, considered a crucial undeclared vote, reserved her position, saying she was continuing to receive and consider the views of constituents. All other national MPs so far have said they would oppose the bill.
All parties have allowed a conscience vote – although assisted dying is formal Greens policy and all will support it.
With more than half of the House’s 87 members having spoken by Wednesday lunchtime, 27 have indicated their support, and 23 either their opposition or their backing for deputy premier James Merlino’s proposed amendments, which would stall the bill and effectively kill it. Three were undecided.
Opposition has focused on the lack of detail about what the lethal substances will be, the fact that there is no requirement for a psychiatric assessment to determine if a person is suffering depression (although the two doctors involved must refer the patient to a mental health profession if they suspect depression) and the risk that vulnerable elderly people may be coerced into taking their own life.
Supporters have stressed that the bill is for a small number of people suffering terminal illnesses and that palliative care cannot deal with all pain and distress. They say the Victorian proposal is one of the most conservative and stringent in the world.
One MP whose position was unclear before today is Liberal MP Martin Dixon, who rejected suggestions that religion should play no role in the debate.
“My faith is part of me, it’s not all of me and I think I need to bring that part into this house, into this debate,” said Dixon. He said he would oppose the bill because he would “always err on the side of life”. He was influenced by the large numbers of cancer and palliative care specialists against assisted ding.
Senior Liberal MP Louise Asher said she was “appalled that the government is trying to ram this bill through in one week”, but she would support it. She was concerned about the potential of elder abuse but “I believe the bills has the layers of safeguards”.
The debate continues.