Euthanasia debate: The political aspirant

Political aspirant and former nurse Jane Foreman said she feared for what would happen if euthanasia was legalised.

She said in other countries where it had been legalised it had been taken to the extreme.

“Once a law like that is brought in, it’s a slippery slope and leaves vulnerable people open to be targeted,” she said

“In Holland, where euthanasia has been legalised, some old people don’t want to go to hospital because they are scared of being euthanised.

“In Belgium they are euthanising children with terminal illnesses.

“We can’t afford to legalise this.”

Mrs Foreman has a background in nursing and pastoral care.

She has run for the Family First Party in the House of Representatives and State election and ran in 2013 for the Federal Senate for the Rise Up Australia Party.

She said as a nurse and through her own personal experience she felt euthanasia was not necessary.

“I don’t understand why someone would want to assist someone in taking their life, ” she said.

“As a nurse we let people die with dignity and people have the option to not take active treatment and let nature take its course.

“It’s not pleasant to see someone suffer, but with good nursing and palliative care it can be comfortable and if there’s no medical intervention, terminally ill patients will go quite quickly.

“As a nurse, I count it as a privilege to be with someone and their family through that time.”

Mrs Foreman said policymakers needed to look carefully at euthanasia legislation.

“Because I’ve been watching what’s been happening overseas where it has been legalised and the loopholes — I definitely see the dangers,” she said.

“They don’t follow the guidelines of the law and there are too many things that can go wrong.”