For decades we at Life Ministries have adamantly opposed euthanasia. In an effort to inform Christians about the dangers of euthanasia, we have printed pamphlets like “If people were dogs & other false arguments for euthanasia” by Andrew Lansdown. We have also printed many articles on the topic.

Seven years ago when Greens MLC Robin Chapple introduced his private members’ “Voluntary Euthanasia Bill 2010” to the Upper House, we worked with pro-life MPs like the Hon Nick Goiran, and marshalled opposition to the Bill, which thankfully was soundly defeated on a vote of 24 to 11.

Earlier this year, in the January-March 2017 edition of Life News, we warned our readers that if Labor was elected to government in Western Australia, in addition to funding highly offensive and potentially damaging curricula like the Safe Schools Program, Mark McGowan had promised to introduce a euthanasia Bill into Parliament in 2017.

Such was our concern, that it was determined in 2016 that the 2017 Rally for Life (I am the President of the Coalition for the Defence of Human Life which runs the annual rally), rather than dealing solely with the topic of legalised abortion, would also address the very real threat of a Bill to legalise euthanasia. And so, one of the foremost anti-euthanasia and anti-assisted suicide authorities in Australia, Mr Paul Russell, the Director of HOPE, was invited to be the keynote speaker at the rally. Following the rally Paul met with Members of Parliament, church leaders and leaders from many pro-family and pro-life organisations.

Our concerns and determination to sound a warning about another attempt to legalise euthanasia were well founded.

After stating in the lead-up to the State election that he supported voluntary euthanasia, Premier Mark McGowan has “thrown his support behind a push for a parliamentary inquiry into legalising euthanasia for terminally ill patients” (West Australian, 14 June 2017). According to the same article, “The bill would make [euthanasia] legal for anyone over 25, but only under certain conditions.” It continued, “A Labor source said the committee would allow for widespread community debate.”

We at Life Ministries well recall the same promise being made in relation to the Acts Amendment (Lesbian and Gay Law Reform) Bill 2001. Prior to its introduction we were promised that, after listening to the homosexual “wish list,” our concerns would be heard. We were told that they would not be given all they were demanding, but in fact they were, and no opportunity was granted to us to respond to their demands. The Labor Government was ruthlessly uncompromising in the revision of our State laws in order to grant homosexual couples equivalent rights to married couples.

Now, we are hearing the same pledge again. Oh, yes, we will listen to everyone’s concerns. But regardless of whether or not they actually intend to have a “widespread community debate” that listens carefully to all sides, we are obliged to do all that we can to inform ourselves and then to inform others about the dangers of legalised euthanasia.

And we should not be discouraged. This is a battle that we have won before. And this is a battle that we can win again, if we will determine to become engaged.

With this in mind, we intend to feature articles on euthanasia in Life News in order to help our readers understand and share the arguments against “mercy killing” and assisted suicide. We start in this issue with two articles: “Mistaken support for euthanasia” by Andrew Lansdown on page 1 and “Thou shalt not kill” by Paul Russell on page 14. Please read these articles—and keep an eye out for more fine articles on this subject in forthcoming issues of Life News.