Over 70% of Australians support the legalisation of voluntary euthanasia. So why is there still no law, asks Go Gentle.
Go Gentle Australia has launched its second campaign in just a few months aiming to bring the voice of Australians to politicians and into the vote for voluntary euthanasia.
The powerful campaign, by Cummins & Partners, allows Australians to submit a personalised version of the Bill to remind politicians this is about real people who want the choice of a peaceful death.
The online film features young South Australian woman Kylie Monaghan who was the first person to Be the Bill. She has advanced cancer that has spread to her liver and bones.
Monaghan says: “I’m going to send my version to every South Australian politician so they won’t just debate a Bill about some person that doesn’t exist – instead they’ll debate me, my life and my choices.”
Visitors to the Go Gentle website will be able to personalise the Bill with the click of a button and then share their Bill with politicians as well as through social media. It uses the profile picture from supporters' Facebook page and sends the Bill to the 69 voting politicians.
Media personality Andrew Denton is director of Go Gentle and one of the celebrities backing the organisation alongside comedian Ben Elton, novelist Thomas Keneally and TV presenter Liz Hayes.
Denton says: “This campaign will hopefully bridge the gap between public sentiment and political action by creating a social groundswell that politicians will no longer be able to ignore. No Australian should be left to die a lingering and painful death.
"We will start in South Australia and we will keep going until a compassionate law with strong safeguards is put in place to ease the suffering of those who should not be forced to endure it.”
The campaign also has the support of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation.
Cummins & Partners executive creative director Julian Schreiber says: “Be The Bill is designed to make politicians look beyond the impersonal legalese contained in the Bill and remind them that the proposed legislation may, one day, affect me, or them, or someone they love.
