'Dr Death' advocates right to die

Dr Philip Nitschke

Barry Leddicoat

Poll

Are you in favour of voluntary euthanasia?

This poll ended on 31 January 2010.

Yes

52%

No

19%

It should be a personal choice

28%

This is not a scientific poll. The results reflect only the opinions of those who chose to participate.

PENSIONER advocate Terri Bradley has declared there will come a time when she would like to take her own life.

Speaking yesterday at a Tweed Heads Exit seminar run by the controversial 'doctor death', Philip Nitschke, Ms Bradley said when her agony from chronic illness became too much, it would be her choice whether she continued her life.

However, Dr Nitschke told about 100, mostly elderly, people at the Tweed Heads Civic Centre that Ms Bradley would have to die alone and in private, for if her friends or family were part of any voluntary euthanasia in NSW they would risk 20 years in jail.

“There is no legal way to get help to die. Suicide is not a crime, but no one can assist. This is a paradox in law, there is no other example of this in law, yet it remains,” Dr Nitschke said.

Ms Bradley listed a number of painful conditions she suffered and took strong painkillers to treat. “I think it (death) is a choice we are allowed to make. They are all permanent problems, there will come a time,” she said.

“Why should we go through all this agony because someone else is saying we have to? It is our life, our choice.”

Ms Bradley said she would soon need to have a dangerous spinal operation with just a 60 per cent success rate, which would leave her disabled for at least 12 months.

“It is my choice to decide if I am in too much agony,” she said.

Ms Bradley said people were being forced to die a lonely death due to the law.

“That is the sad part of it. You should be able to have your family there. All they (the governments) are doing is driving it underground and people are still doing it,” she said.

At the conference, Dr Nitschke had on hand the Exit International barbiturate testing kit, which he displayed for the third time ever at private workshops following a public speech yesterday morning.