Nitschke says he is target of new laws

Euthanasia advocate Doctor Phillip Nitschke has singled himself out as the target of proposed federal laws on suicide.

Under the legislation to be introduced this week, individuals and corporations would be fined up to $500,000 for using the Internet to incite or promote suicide.

Dr Nitschke says that the website produced by his organisation could face fines if the legislation is passed.

"The electronic frontier, who put a submission into this piece of legislation, when it was first brought forward last year suggested that it was only being brought forward because of the activities of one particular group and one particular Australian," Dr Nischke said.

"I took that to mean me."

Dr Nitschke has vowed to continue providing information about euthanasia on the Internet.

He says he will lobby the Government to stop the legislation being passed.

Dr Nitschke fears that the new laws will inhibit freedom of speech in Australia.

"But I'll go down to Canberra again and point out why this is a backward step," Dr Nitschke said.

"Censoring this information is not an Australian thing to do.

"We're going back into the years of book burning."

By Euthanasia 10 March 05

Hazy logic dictates a painful prohibition
If we do more to ease the pain of the terminally ill, it may take much of the heat out of the euthanasia debate. That too is a good thing. In the end, Remy dies at home surrounded by those who love him most, and free from pain. My father was less fortunate. His family was there. But so was that unwelcome intruder, pain. With an ounce of common sense, compassion and political pluck, perhaps it need not have ended that way.

Govt to restrict unions' right of entry

The Federal Government is planning to introduce a new Bill which will prevent unions from using state laws to undermine federal legislation governing right of entry.

Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews says the proposed law would apply where workers are covered by federal agreements.

He says the legislation has been prompted by two cases where the right of entry was significantly expanded by rulings in the Federal Court and the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC).

Mr Andrews says in one case the IRC allowed union representatives into a workplace without any restriction.

"This legislation will provide that the employer or the business may be able to make some reasonable requests about where those discussions with the workers should occur," he said.

"It's not doing anything more than reasserting what we believed has always been the status quo in relation to right of entry."

By Workers United 30 November 04

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