Page of 71

Albury-Wodonga U3A is located atThe Albury-Wodonga Community College

63 High Street Wodonga VIC 3690PO Box 129 Wodonga VIC 3689

College Reception (02) 6043 8200U3A Mobile 0499 895 117

alburywodongau3acom gt Contact Us

November Newsletter 2017Editors Edward VoogtTony Keys | Publication Date October 2017

Albury-Wodonga U3A 2017-18 Committee MembersEdward Voogt (VP amp Member Services Director) bull Dianne Fontana (Secretary)

Keith Martin (Treasurer) bull Pat Madin (Programme Director) bull Peter Massey (Systems Director)Meryl Allworth (Programme) bull Gudrun Reid (VicNet amp Regional Liaison) bull Tony Keys (Newsletter)

2017 Semester 2Ends Friday 8 December

sect

Next Committee MeetingFriday 3rd November 930 am

sect

End of Year Function

Friday 8th December 1000am

This year we will have our function in the auditorium of the AWCC (not the Botanical Gardens) in lieu of the regular coffee morning We will be entertained by a young peoples group called the Shamrockers playing Irish music More detail to follow later

November Coffee MorningFriday November 10 10 am till 12 noon

Guest Speaker Kelly Gibbons

Keeping an Eye on your Health

Kelly is an Optometrist amp has owned Wodonga Eyecare since 2004 She loves Optometry amp the challenge of diagnosing amp treating eye disease Special interests in therapeutics childrenrsquos vision amp shooting vision What she really loves is seeing her loyal customers amp having a good chat She has lived in the North East for 14 years amp is lucky to have found such a great place to raise her kids She enjoys riding her horse Stan living out near the Hume Dam amp working with a dedicated amp good humoured bunch of people at Wodonga Eyecare

Kelly will talk on any vision subject that you desire on the day so bank up your vision questions

She will begin by revising some ocular anatomyand move into explaining how cataracts and macular degeneration affect the eye She will then discuss Glaucoma and if theres time she will talk about the significant impact of dry eye

Page of 72

sect

Why we need PhilosophyBy Martyn Stevens

It was Plato who coined the term Philosophy which means love of wisdomSocrates who was Platos teacher and Plato himself valued wisdom very highlyPlatos work took the form of dialogues where someone would be asked something like What is justice At first people give quick answers which are not fully adequate to the question until through dialogue we become wiser about this and every other issue We cant know everything and each of us has our particular take on what is true and what is not But through dialogue with others who have a different take on things we become wiser and better equipped as a result to face life wiselyThere were many other great philosophers examining every facet of the nature of things and the nature of our knowledgeIn the Albury Wodonga Community College U3A Philosophy Discussion Group each week we examine a different aspect of all manner of questions of interest And through dialogue we not only become wiser but also become friendsPhilosophy examines the underlying basis of every question It also examines the underlying assumptions we make about what we can know about the worldEthics is an important branch of philosophy If we were to be cold-blooded about things we might as well pack up and go home But when we ask the important ethical questions about that which we are considering we find we are human after all in a world where ethics is sorely neededOur Philosophy Discussion Group is full this year but you may want to consider it next yearMartyn Stevens

sect

Personal profile - Martyn Stevens

The Albury Wodonga Community College University of the Third Age Philosophy Discussion Group meets every Thursday morning

Many interesting and exciting discussions take place In these discussions we are often informed of the views of the great philosophers of history by one of our group Martyn Stevens who studied Philosophy for six years at the University of Sydney until he was forced to give it up due to ill health Martyn continued his interest in philosophy for the next 20 years and fortunately for us this has meant we have in Martyn our own resident philosopher

Whatever the issue whatever the question we have in Martyn a champion of PhilosophyPhilosophy helps us to understand the underlying basis of our assumptions and creates a greater capacity for independence of thought Martyn said

All those involved in the group have their contribution to make and we wish to thank all of them accordingly

Our resident philosopher

Page of 73

The Philosophy Group Coordinator Helen Casey

I immigrated to Australia with my family as a child We were 10 pound poms

We were also a family of fireside philosophers and debaters My early adult life was spent nursing the elderly After marrying my husband was transferred to the USA to fulfill a contract for his employer Our daughter and I accompanied him and we spent a total of three and a half years living in South Carolina During our stay I had the opportunity to address various groups about Australia This led to an interest in public speaking and debating I have been adjudicating both for the NSW Education department for many years My interest in phi losophy encouraged me to study Western Tradition along with psychology and sociology at Rivcol a precursor to Charles Sturt University

When I heard about the U3A philosophy discussion group through a fellow adjudicator I decided to join It has been marvellous Such a lovely interesting group of people After several years I was approached to coordinate the discussions I certainly dont see myself as an expert but with the help of Martyn Stevens a fountain of knowledge and many learned members of the group we have some very

Albury Wodonga U3A Philosophical Discussion Group

A Participants View

This fascinating group of some thirty plus minds from diverse backgrounds meets of a Thursday morning in Wodonga and is coordinated by Helen Casey assisted by Martyn StevensOver the past 18 months we have studied ldquoPh i losophy fo r L i fe rdquo by Ju les Evans ldquoUnderstanding Philosophyrdquo by Mel Thompson and ldquoThe Story of Philosophyrdquo by Bryan Magee covering philosophers from Thales in the 6C BC through Aristotle Epicurus Locke and Kant to the 20C philosophers such as Marx Camus Popper and Sartre This has been an incredible journey in the development of the human mind and the evolution of society Our discussions which are lively informative and often controversial are frequently integrated into issues of contemporary society in politics ethics and the human condition in generalFor second semester 2017 we are studying Eastern philosophy which will include elements of Hinduism Confucianism Taoism and Buddhism later in the year we will be exploring Australian indigenous societyrsquos philosophies I have personally found this discussion group entertaining and enlightening and would recommend it to anyone who is prepared to have their ideas challenged and their minds stimulated and broadenedRod Farr August 2017

sect

Another Participants View

PHILOSOPHICAL DISCUSSIONS ndash WHY I ENJOY ATTENDINGhellip

I have been attending these sessions for ten plus years now starting off with Alan Cracknell (the founder of U3A in Albury Wodonga) as facilitator Alan passed away and I facilitated the group for seven years passing on to John Shilling and now Helen Casey I enjoy attending because-

Page of 74

An Ethics Issue from the Philosophy Group

Over the past several weeks we have been considering the ethics of euthanasia (also termed medically assisted death assisted dying and other names)

There was considerable discussion about all aspects of the subject Numerous members of the group outlined their diverse personal experiences of dealing with this matter when it involved a member of their own families

The group thought that other U3A members may wish to see specific details of the list of steps the Victorian Government is proposing to specify in its proposed legislation (see last page of newsletter) Ian Price

sect

For those lovers of stereotypes - A joke

The Irish The Irish never hesitate to come to the aid of their fellow man air passengers in this case

Shortly after take-off on an outbound evening Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Boston the lead flight attendant nervously made the following announcement in her lovely Irish brogue

Ladies and gentlemen Im so very sorry but it appears that there has been a terrible mix-up by our catering service I dont know how this happened but we have 103 passengers on board and unfortunately we received only 40 dinner meals I truly apologize for this mistake and inconvenience

When the muttering of the passengers had died down she continued Anyone who is kind enough to give up their meal so that someone else can eat will receive free and unlimited drinks for the duration of our 10 hour flightrdquo

Her next announcement came about 2 hours later If anyone is hungry we still have 40 dinners available

1 Because I hear challenging information about Philosophy and Ethics and I also hear the many points of view put forward by group members my thinking and knowledge is enlarged and often challenged2 On my part there is an acceptance that I may not agree with all aspects of discussion but my reasoning and thinking skills are increased by hearing them 3 I am often encouraged to read and think further on points of discussion4 The group is well led and has established protocols which ensure everyone attending has a lsquofair gorsquo5 My week would not be complete without the mental (and sometimes emotional) challenges of Philosophical Discussions

Val Symons

How to Sign Up for the WebsiteOn our website alburywodongau3acom

enter your email address under

FOLLOW UPDATES BY EMAIL

Then click the Follow button beneath itThe panel then shows the message Thanks for subscribing Yoursquoll get an email with a link

to confirm your subscription Click the Confirm Follow button in the email

Thatrsquos all you have to do

NB If you donrsquot receive the confirmation email this probably means that your email

address has not been entered correctly Just try again

You will then receive updates by email directly from the website until you unsubscribe via the

link provided in the same emails 983040983041983042983043983044983045983046983047983048983049983050983051983052983053983054983055983056983057983058983059983060983061983062983063983064983065983066983067983068983069983070983071983072983073983074983075983076983077983078983079983080983081983082983083983084983085983086983087983088983089983090983091983092983093983094983095983096983097983098983099983100983101983102983103983104983105983106983107983108983109983110983111983112983113983114983115983116983117983118983119983120983121983122983123983124983125983126983127983128983129983130983131983132983133983134983135983136983137983138983139983140983141983142983143983144983145983146983147983148983149983150983151983152983153983154983155983156983157983158983159983160983161983162983163983164983165983166983167

Page of 73

The Philosophy Group Coordinator Helen Casey

I immigrated to Australia with my family as a child We were 10 pound poms

We were also a family of fireside philosophers and debaters My early adult life was spent nursing the elderly After marrying my husband was transferred to the USA to fulfill a contract for his employer Our daughter and I accompanied him and we spent a total of three and a half years living in South Carolina During our stay I had the opportunity to address various groups about Australia This led to an interest in public speaking and debating I have been adjudicating both for the NSW Education department for many years My interest in phi losophy encouraged me to study Western Tradition along with psychology and sociology at Rivcol a precursor to Charles Sturt University

When I heard about the U3A philosophy discussion group through a fellow adjudicator I decided to join It has been marvellous Such a lovely interesting group of people After several years I was approached to coordinate the discussions I certainly dont see myself as an expert but with the help of Martyn Stevens a fountain of knowledge and many learned members of the group we have some very

Albury Wodonga U3A Philosophical Discussion Group

A Participants View

This fascinating group of some thirty plus minds from diverse backgrounds meets of a Thursday morning in Wodonga and is coordinated by Helen Casey assisted by Martyn StevensOver the past 18 months we have studied ldquoPh i losophy fo r L i fe rdquo by Ju les Evans ldquoUnderstanding Philosophyrdquo by Mel Thompson and ldquoThe Story of Philosophyrdquo by Bryan Magee covering philosophers from Thales in the 6C BC through Aristotle Epicurus Locke and Kant to the 20C philosophers such as Marx Camus Popper and Sartre This has been an incredible journey in the development of the human mind and the evolution of society Our discussions which are lively informative and often controversial are frequently integrated into issues of contemporary society in politics ethics and the human condition in generalFor second semester 2017 we are studying Eastern philosophy which will include elements of Hinduism Confucianism Taoism and Buddhism later in the year we will be exploring Australian indigenous societyrsquos philosophies I have personally found this discussion group entertaining and enlightening and would recommend it to anyone who is prepared to have their ideas challenged and their minds stimulated and broadenedRod Farr August 2017

sect

Another Participants View

PHILOSOPHICAL DISCUSSIONS ndash WHY I ENJOY ATTENDINGhellip

I have been attending these sessions for ten plus years now starting off with Alan Cracknell (the founder of U3A in Albury Wodonga) as facilitator Alan passed away and I facilitated the group for seven years passing on to John Shilling and now Helen Casey I enjoy attending because-

Page of 74

An Ethics Issue from the Philosophy Group

Over the past several weeks we have been considering the ethics of euthanasia (also termed medically assisted death assisted dying and other names)

There was considerable discussion about all aspects of the subject Numerous members of the group outlined their diverse personal experiences of dealing with this matter when it involved a member of their own families

The group thought that other U3A members may wish to see specific details of the list of steps the Victorian Government is proposing to specify in its proposed legislation (see last page of newsletter) Ian Price

sect

For those lovers of stereotypes - A joke

The Irish The Irish never hesitate to come to the aid of their fellow man air passengers in this case

Shortly after take-off on an outbound evening Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Boston the lead flight attendant nervously made the following announcement in her lovely Irish brogue

Ladies and gentlemen Im so very sorry but it appears that there has been a terrible mix-up by our catering service I dont know how this happened but we have 103 passengers on board and unfortunately we received only 40 dinner meals I truly apologize for this mistake and inconvenience

When the muttering of the passengers had died down she continued Anyone who is kind enough to give up their meal so that someone else can eat will receive free and unlimited drinks for the duration of our 10 hour flightrdquo

Her next announcement came about 2 hours later If anyone is hungry we still have 40 dinners available

1 Because I hear challenging information about Philosophy and Ethics and I also hear the many points of view put forward by group members my thinking and knowledge is enlarged and often challenged2 On my part there is an acceptance that I may not agree with all aspects of discussion but my reasoning and thinking skills are increased by hearing them 3 I am often encouraged to read and think further on points of discussion4 The group is well led and has established protocols which ensure everyone attending has a lsquofair gorsquo5 My week would not be complete without the mental (and sometimes emotional) challenges of Philosophical Discussions

Val Symons

How to Sign Up for the WebsiteOn our website alburywodongau3acom

enter your email address under

FOLLOW UPDATES BY EMAIL

Then click the Follow button beneath itThe panel then shows the message Thanks for subscribing Yoursquoll get an email with a link

to confirm your subscription Click the Confirm Follow button in the email

Thatrsquos all you have to do

NB If you donrsquot receive the confirmation email this probably means that your email

address has not been entered correctly Just try again

You will then receive updates by email directly from the website until you unsubscribe via the

link provided in the same emails 983040983041983042983043983044983045983046983047983048983049983050983051983052983053983054983055983056983057983058983059983060983061983062983063983064983065983066983067983068983069983070983071983072983073983074983075983076983077983078983079983080983081983082983083983084983085983086983087983088983089983090983091983092983093983094983095983096983097983098983099983100983101983102983103983104983105983106983107983108983109983110983111983112983113983114983115983116983117983118983119983120983121983122983123983124983125983126983127983128983129983130983131983132983133983134983135983136983137983138983139983140983141983142983143983144983145983146983147983148983149983150983151983152983153983154983155983156983157983158983159983160983161983162983163983164983165983166983167

Page of 74

An Ethics Issue from the Philosophy Group

Over the past several weeks we have been considering the ethics of euthanasia (also termed medically assisted death assisted dying and other names)

There was considerable discussion about all aspects of the subject Numerous members of the group outlined their diverse personal experiences of dealing with this matter when it involved a member of their own families

The group thought that other U3A members may wish to see specific details of the list of steps the Victorian Government is proposing to specify in its proposed legislation (see last page of newsletter) Ian Price

sect

For those lovers of stereotypes - A joke

The Irish The Irish never hesitate to come to the aid of their fellow man air passengers in this case

Shortly after take-off on an outbound evening Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Boston the lead flight attendant nervously made the following announcement in her lovely Irish brogue

Ladies and gentlemen Im so very sorry but it appears that there has been a terrible mix-up by our catering service I dont know how this happened but we have 103 passengers on board and unfortunately we received only 40 dinner meals I truly apologize for this mistake and inconvenience

When the muttering of the passengers had died down she continued Anyone who is kind enough to give up their meal so that someone else can eat will receive free and unlimited drinks for the duration of our 10 hour flightrdquo

Her next announcement came about 2 hours later If anyone is hungry we still have 40 dinners available

1 Because I hear challenging information about Philosophy and Ethics and I also hear the many points of view put forward by group members my thinking and knowledge is enlarged and often challenged2 On my part there is an acceptance that I may not agree with all aspects of discussion but my reasoning and thinking skills are increased by hearing them 3 I am often encouraged to read and think further on points of discussion4 The group is well led and has established protocols which ensure everyone attending has a lsquofair gorsquo5 My week would not be complete without the mental (and sometimes emotional) challenges of Philosophical Discussions

Val Symons

How to Sign Up for the WebsiteOn our website alburywodongau3acom

enter your email address under

FOLLOW UPDATES BY EMAIL

Then click the Follow button beneath itThe panel then shows the message Thanks for subscribing Yoursquoll get an email with a link

to confirm your subscription Click the Confirm Follow button in the email

Thatrsquos all you have to do

NB If you donrsquot receive the confirmation email this probably means that your email

address has not been entered correctly Just try again

You will then receive updates by email directly from the website until you unsubscribe via the

link provided in the same emails 983040983041983042983043983044983045983046983047983048983049983050983051983052983053983054983055983056983057983058983059983060983061983062983063983064983065983066983067983068983069983070983071983072983073983074983075983076983077983078983079983080983081983082983083983084983085983086983087983088983089983090983091983092983093983094983095983096983097983098983099983100983101983102983103983104983105983106983107983108983109983110983111983112983113983114983115983116983117983118983119983120983121983122983123983124983125983126983127983128983129983130983131983132983133983134983135983136983137983138983139983140983141983142983143983144983145983146983147983148983149983150983151983152983153983154983155983156983157983158983159983160983161983162983163983164983165983166983167

Page of 75

AWECC (Albury Wodonga Ethnic Communities Council) Multicultural Expo

Keith Martin Rae Gibbons and Di Fontana attended this Expo as representatives of our U3A We met with many interested senior Bhutanese community members and endeavoured to establish how we might be able to interact with and serve this community What we did acknowledge was that most of the courses we offer would be language restrictive so further collaboration will be needed U3A may need to go out into the community in order to have more satisfactory contact possibly in the areas of gardening chess knitting sewing dancing music tai chi and so on Any ideas towards fostering this relationship would be most welcome

Rae with some participants at the AWECC

Melbourne Cup Day - Tuesday November 7

Classes will run as normal on this day as Wodonga Council has decided to take the holiday on Wodonga Gold Cup day on 24th November

Handling the Squirrels

There were four churches and a synagogue in a small town a Presbyterian church a Baptist church a Methodist church a Catholic church and a Jewish synagogue

Each church and the synagogue had a problem with squirrels The Presbyterian church called a meeting to decide what to do about their squirrels After much prayer and consideration they determined the squirrels were predestined to be there and they shouldnt interfere with Gods divine will

At the Baptist church the squirrels had taken an interest in the baptistery The deacons met and decided to put a water slide on the baptistery and let the squirrels drown themselves The squirrels liked the slide and unfortunately knew instinctively how to swim so twice as many squirrels showed up the following week

The Methodist church decided that they were not in a position to harm any of Gods creatures

So they humanely trapped their squirrels and set them free near the Baptist Church Two weeks later the squirrels were back when the Baptists took down the water slide

But the Catholic Church came up with a very creative strategy They baptized all the squirrels and consecrated them as members of the church Now they only see them at Christmas and Easter

Not much was heard from the Jewish synagogue but its rumoured that they took one squirrel and circumcised him They havent seen a squirrel on their property since

sect

Page of 76

Coffee Morning -13th OctoberLiving in the 4th quarter

In 2013 retired Wodonga nurse Dianne Wicks left family and friends behind to volunteer in a poor quarry district near Bengaluru (Bangalore) Southern India for 2 years

Through Bangalore City Mission [BCM] Dianne connected with a local family Jonathan and his parents Dr Paul and Violet Raj who had originally taken in 14 under- privileged children from local rock-quarry slum communities into the familys lounge room converting it to a place of learning for children who were so eager to learn

The familys dream was to have a school to give hope through education 25 years on Sinclairs School now has 600 children attending It was built rebuilt and improved and totally funded through sponsorship from Australia Jonathan heads BCM and co-ordinates Australian funding for Sinclairs School

Dianne arrived to teach English to the schools years 7 to 10 She found the library to be a storeroom housing piles of 800 older used books She set up a library system taught it to the teachers and opened up a borrowing system for home reading Since then a few weeks ago another dream was fulfilled - a new library which went from a blank shell to full operation in 3 weeks What a joy Dianne was honoured to return for its opening as the The Dianne Wicks Library

Currently the school is expanding - a vocational centre for women has been establiched where local crafts sewing is available

Dianne experienced some living challenges during her 2 years in India Living within the local community she travelled either on a crowded bus or on the back of a motor bike She saw the rich and the poor Living in a patriarchal society she was a foreigner a woman and Christian Older women usually do not live alone Fortunately Jonathan organised a comfortable apartment for her to rent

Did she feel safe Most of the time She practised awareness and to live fearlessly What mattered most was having a sense of humour and flexibility and accepting that people always put family and relationships first

Her free time was enjoyed by sightseeing around Southern India Strong friendships grew

Even today students at Sinclairs School experience huge difficulties extending school learning to home - extreme poverty alcoholism parent illiteracy flooded homes in the monsoon season However Dianne has returned home to Wodonga knowing her students led by the amazing Jonathan have a strong hope and determination to learn They sparkle at school Those unable to gain an education seem sad in comparison

She quotes Craig Croeshal If youre not dead youre not done

Our sincere thanks to Dianne for her inspirational story

She is currently undertaking a childrens book drive to be sent to the new Sinclairs library (Years 7-12) In particular the library needs information books as well as fiction books

If you would like to help please phone Dianne

for details at 0438247524

Page of 77

A Topical Philosophy Discussion Topic

Euthanasia deaths to be permitted in Victoria by 2019 under committee proposalhttpwwwabcnetaunews2017-07-21victoria-assisted-dying-available-2019-report-says8730346 By [ABC News] state political reporter Richard Willingham Updated 21 Jul 2017

To qualify a person must be of sound decision-making capacity and the condition they are suffering from must be expected to cause death within 12 months and be causing suffering that cannot be relieved in a manner that is tolerable to the person

Dementia patients will not qualify and while a mental illness or disability is not a reason to access the scheme they will not preclude someone from seeking an assisted death if they have a separate terminal illnessOnly the patient can initiate a request for assisted dying and the person must be assessed by two doctors one which must be an expert in the persons particular illnessOne doctor must also have at least five years post-fellowship experience and all will have to complete specialist training to be involved in the requests The system is proposed to work in the following way

Firstly the patient makes a request to their medical practitioner who will make an assessment Another practitioner makes an independent assessment The patient then makes a written declaration of an enduring request This is to be witnessed by two people one must not be a family member or anyone who may be a beneficiary from the persons death Finally the patient makes a third and final request to their medical practitioner In most cases there will be a minimum of 10 days between first and last request before the medication is dispensed The doctor must ensure the person is properly informed of the Diagnosis and prognosis Treatment options Palliative care options Expected outcome of taking the lethal dose Possible risks of the lethal dose

The doctor must also inform the patient they are under no obligation to continue with their request for voluntary assisted dying and that they may withdraw their request at any timeSpecial board to review all requests

Page of 76

Coffee Morning -13th OctoberLiving in the 4th quarter

In 2013 retired Wodonga nurse Dianne Wicks left family and friends behind to volunteer in a poor quarry district near Bengaluru (Bangalore) Southern India for 2 years

Through Bangalore City Mission [BCM] Dianne connected with a local family Jonathan and his parents Dr Paul and Violet Raj who had originally taken in 14 under- privileged children from local rock-quarry slum communities into the familys lounge room converting it to a place of learning for children who were so eager to learn

The familys dream was to have a school to give hope through education 25 years on Sinclairs School now has 600 children attending It was built rebuilt and improved and totally funded through sponsorship from Australia Jonathan heads BCM and co-ordinates Australian funding for Sinclairs School

Dianne arrived to teach English to the schools years 7 to 10 She found the library to be a storeroom housing piles of 800 older used books She set up a library system taught it to the teachers and opened up a borrowing system for home reading Since then a few weeks ago another dream was fulfilled - a new library which went from a blank shell to full operation in 3 weeks What a joy Dianne was honoured to return for its opening as the The Dianne Wicks Library

Currently the school is expanding - a vocational centre for women has been establiched where local crafts sewing is available

Dianne experienced some living challenges during her 2 years in India Living within the local community she travelled either on a crowded bus or on the back of a motor bike She saw the rich and the poor Living in a patriarchal society she was a foreigner a woman and Christian Older women usually do not live alone Fortunately Jonathan organised a comfortable apartment for her to rent

Did she feel safe Most of the time She practised awareness and to live fearlessly What mattered most was having a sense of humour and flexibility and accepting that people always put family and relationships first

Her free time was enjoyed by sightseeing around Southern India Strong friendships grew

Even today students at Sinclairs School experience huge difficulties extending school learning to home - extreme poverty alcoholism parent illiteracy flooded homes in the monsoon season However Dianne has returned home to Wodonga knowing her students led by the amazing Jonathan have a strong hope and determination to learn They sparkle at school Those unable to gain an education seem sad in comparison

She quotes Craig Croeshal If youre not dead youre not done

Our sincere thanks to Dianne for her inspirational story

She is currently undertaking a childrens book drive to be sent to the new Sinclairs library (Years 7-12) In particular the library needs information books as well as fiction books

If you would like to help please phone Dianne

for details at 0438247524

Page of 77

A Topical Philosophy Discussion Topic

Euthanasia deaths to be permitted in Victoria by 2019 under committee proposalhttpwwwabcnetaunews2017-07-21victoria-assisted-dying-available-2019-report-says8730346 By [ABC News] state political reporter Richard Willingham Updated 21 Jul 2017

To qualify a person must be of sound decision-making capacity and the condition they are suffering from must be expected to cause death within 12 months and be causing suffering that cannot be relieved in a manner that is tolerable to the person

Dementia patients will not qualify and while a mental illness or disability is not a reason to access the scheme they will not preclude someone from seeking an assisted death if they have a separate terminal illnessOnly the patient can initiate a request for assisted dying and the person must be assessed by two doctors one which must be an expert in the persons particular illnessOne doctor must also have at least five years post-fellowship experience and all will have to complete specialist training to be involved in the requests The system is proposed to work in the following way

Firstly the patient makes a request to their medical practitioner who will make an assessment Another practitioner makes an independent assessment The patient then makes a written declaration of an enduring request This is to be witnessed by two people one must not be a family member or anyone who may be a beneficiary from the persons death Finally the patient makes a third and final request to their medical practitioner In most cases there will be a minimum of 10 days between first and last request before the medication is dispensed The doctor must ensure the person is properly informed of the Diagnosis and prognosis Treatment options Palliative care options Expected outcome of taking the lethal dose Possible risks of the lethal dose

The doctor must also inform the patient they are under no obligation to continue with their request for voluntary assisted dying and that they may withdraw their request at any timeSpecial board to review all requests

Page of 77

A Topical Philosophy Discussion Topic

Euthanasia deaths to be permitted in Victoria by 2019 under committee proposalhttpwwwabcnetaunews2017-07-21victoria-assisted-dying-available-2019-report-says8730346 By [ABC News] state political reporter Richard Willingham Updated 21 Jul 2017

To qualify a person must be of sound decision-making capacity and the condition they are suffering from must be expected to cause death within 12 months and be causing suffering that cannot be relieved in a manner that is tolerable to the person

Dementia patients will not qualify and while a mental illness or disability is not a reason to access the scheme they will not preclude someone from seeking an assisted death if they have a separate terminal illnessOnly the patient can initiate a request for assisted dying and the person must be assessed by two doctors one which must be an expert in the persons particular illnessOne doctor must also have at least five years post-fellowship experience and all will have to complete specialist training to be involved in the requests The system is proposed to work in the following way

Firstly the patient makes a request to their medical practitioner who will make an assessment Another practitioner makes an independent assessment The patient then makes a written declaration of an enduring request This is to be witnessed by two people one must not be a family member or anyone who may be a beneficiary from the persons death Finally the patient makes a third and final request to their medical practitioner In most cases there will be a minimum of 10 days between first and last request before the medication is dispensed The doctor must ensure the person is properly informed of the Diagnosis and prognosis Treatment options Palliative care options Expected outcome of taking the lethal dose Possible risks of the lethal dose

The doctor must also inform the patient they are under no obligation to continue with their request for voluntary assisted dying and that they may withdraw their request at any timeSpecial board to review all requests

Page of 78