Craig Hill
KC Hill
Paladin
Oracle of DelphiKnack Promotes Sending them to the Knackers
September 1st 2006 02:29
SA Democrat MP Sandra Knack decided on Wednesday that it would be a good use of parliamentary privilege to describe to the house in great detail various methods by which people can kill themselves. She took this ludicrous course of action because she doesn't agree with the Suicide Material Related Offences Act, which prohibits the electronic dissemination of methods of suicide. Mike Rann responded to her stunt by excluding her speech from the electronic version of Hansard which is available on the internet.
The story raises a number of issues. Parliamentary privilege is essential so that parliament can make laws and raise taxes free from the interference of government and the courts. That is the purpose of Parliamentary privilege. It's not there to push an ideological belief held by an individual member. Abusing it will result in it's curtailment - a very risky business.
On the euthanasia question, most arguments in favour of it revolve the need to avoid unnecessary suffering. The answer to this is of course access to high quality palliative care not killing the patient.
The story raises a number of issues. Parliamentary privilege is essential so that parliament can make laws and raise taxes free from the interference of government and the courts. That is the purpose of Parliamentary privilege. It's not there to push an ideological belief held by an individual member. Abusing it will result in it's curtailment - a very risky business.
On the euthanasia question, most arguments in favour of it revolve the need to avoid unnecessary suffering. The answer to this is of course access to high quality palliative care not killing the patient.
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