I've been a doctor for over 50 years, a Christian for sixty years, worked as a Baptist missionary in Bangladesh for 5 years, and was Head of the Infectious Diseases Unit and then the Victorian AIDS Unit at The Alfred for over 20 years, and I KNOW this legislation is essential, and am SURE that sufficient safeguards can be written, and that doctors will be bound be them. I've written to my Lower House and Upper House members, and suggest you stimulate the conscience of your "representatives". Thanks to Mr John Th and Mrs Fran B.

We elect people to parliament. They are called our REPRESENTATIVES. When the vast majority of people in Victoria and Australia hold a view, and our REPRESENTATIVES fail to represent that view, they don't deserve to remain in parliament or government. It's time we all stood up and demnded that our elected representatives represent, and that they stop bowing to noisy minority groups. If they can't ethically support the view of the majority of Australians, they should step down.

It cannot be beyond the intelligence and ingenuity of Australian law-makers to devise robust and safeguarded legislation enabling those who legitimately wish it to slip peacefully away with medical assistance. A start would be for the federal government to pursue a standardised form of legally enforceable Advance Healthcare Directive (ADC) and promote its take-up in the community – as has been done with the organ donation register. ADCs can be used both to request assisted dying (in specific circumstances) and to reject it under any circumstances, providing a solid safeguard against forced ending of life.

It's way past time that our 'intelligent' (??) Victorian State political 'representatives' called for a referendum to confirm the claimed 85% of people in favour of Voluntary Euthanasia. It has long occurred to me that my Federal Member and a number of State Members may be seeking Papal Knighthoods!!! How else to explain why they continue to spurn clear public opinion in favour of VE, as expressed in repeated Polls?

With appropriate safeguards it is entirely right for physician assisted dying or voluntary euthanasia to be legalised. At a time when individual freedom is a seriously misused term the one obvious area where such freedom is still denied is this one. With a population which is rapidly living much longer the need for such legislation becomes steadily more important. There are also many cases of younger people with incurable illnesses whose need for such legislation is similarly important.

My body belongs to me not God as I'm an atheist! I should be able to get medical assistance to end my life whenever I find myself not wanting to live this rat race of life we are shoved into being part of. I shouldn't have to be terminal or have some debilitating disorder in order to get assistance in ending my life. My 37 year old son who was fighting depression for the last three years and had heaps of assistance but just couldn't handle life as he was being forced to live. He commited suicide 6 weeks ago. People who have had enough of life should have some options other than what my son went through.

If the law permitted Physician Assisted Dying (PAD), my organs could be donated to a recipient whose life is dependent on them. Without PAD, by the time my body is discovered, the organs will be unfit for transplant.

The current situation is the height of hypocrisy. The right to die with dignity certainly needs to be addressed and it is beyond time that we collectively addressed the issue. To delay causes massive suffering and anxiety to those in our community who are most vulnerable.

If suitable legal safeguards were to be put in place to protect the terminally ill then why can't legislation be introduced. No one is suggesting that Euthanasia is compulsory !. The free will and direct wishes of the dying person should be respected. This is not a religious issue nor a political one. It is a human rights issue that requires politicians with brave hearts to stand up and introduce Laws for the dying.