A woman whose terminally ill husband lobbied hard for assisted dying to be legalised in Victoria is “over the moon” the controversial laws will come into effect from today Wednesday June 19, 2019.
Former Shell Coles Express managing director Peter Short, 57, died in 2014 in palliative care after being given terminal sedation for oesophageal cancer . The Melbourne man had campaigned for the laws.
“I’m over the moon and it makes me sad to think that Pete is not around to see it but for everybody else it’s a great step forward,” his wife, Elizabeth , told 3AW radio.
Under the scheme, terminally ill Victorian adults who meet 68 criteria will be able to ask their doctor for a lethal combination of medication.
Mrs Short said Peter was given Nembutal, known as the “peaceful pill” but in the end chose palliation in hospital.
“He had the choice to end his own life or to choose the route he ended up doing but it was the greatest gift anybody could have given for him,” Mrs Short said. She said people needed to understand terminal sedation already “happens all the time without regulation” .
Go Gentle director Andrew Denton said by putting in place safe assisted dying laws, Victoria has done what no other Australian state was willing to.
This article is from the June 19, 2019 issue of The Herald Sun Digital Edition. To subscribe, visit https://www.heraldsun.com.au/.
