The Advocate
Adam Holmes
Tasmanians will not be able to claim “conscientious objector” status should they require a mandatory vaccination for work in healthcare settings, Premier Peter Gutwein has confirmed. . . continue reading
Tag: Tasmania (Australia)
Catholic doctors cannot refuse COVID-19 vaccines on moral or religious grounds in Tasmania
The Examiner
Isabel Bird
Conservative catholic doctors, nurses and other health workers who oppose mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations on moral or “conscience grounds” will not be allowed to refuse the vaccine in Tasmania.
The state government, and other jurisdictions, are making vaccinations mandatory for all health workers in the public and private healthcare systems, leading the Catholic Medical Association of Australia (CMAA) to call for the right to a “conscientious objection to vaccination”.
The association says vaccines can be rejected on moral grounds, and because of a lack of research, testing and knowledge about future side effects, but this in comparison to the views of Catholic Church head Pope Francis who has urged people to get vaccinated, saying that vaccines “bring hope to end the pandemic, but only if they are available to all”. . . . continue reading
Tasmania third state to approve euthanasia
The Canberra Times
Australian Associated Press
Tasmania will become the third Australian jurisdiction to legalise voluntary assisted dying after the legislation passed the state’s upper house.
Legislative Council members supported the End of Life Choices (Voluntary Assisted Dying) Bill late on Tuesday night, approving amendments from the lower house.
The lower house had backed the bill in a 16-6 vote in early March, with Premier Peter Gutwein among a handful of Liberals to support it.
The upper house, where the legislation was introduced by Independent Mike Gaffney, had already passed the bill unanimously late last year. . . continue reading
Tasmania’s House of Assembly passes Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill
Australia Broadcasting Corporation News
Alexandra Humphries
An overwhelming majority of Tasmania’s House of Assembly MPs have voted to pass Voluntary Assisted Dying legislation, putting the state on the precipice of introducing the historic laws.
MPs voted 16 to 6 in favour of the legislation.
The End of Life Choices Bill’s already passed the state’s Legislative Council after being introduced there by Independent MLC Mike Gaffney last year.
However, because the lower house has amended the Bill it will need another formal approval from the upper house before it can be passed into law, which is expected later this month. . . [Full text]
Protection of conscience provision in new Tasmanian abortion law
The Reproductive Health (Access to Terminations) Bill 2013 passed the Tasmanian Legislative Council 9-5 on 21 November [ The Examiner] and received Royal Assent today. Abortions after 16 weeks will require the approval of two physicians. The new Act includes a protection of conscience provision that exempts those who object to the procedure from participating in it, except when necessary to save the life of a woman or prevent serious physical injury. There is no requirement for referral, but an objecting physician must provide a woman “seeking a termination or advice regarding the full range of pregnancy options” a “list of prescribed health services” from which she may seek advice. Since, subject to the content of the list, this does not seem to be the equivalent of referral for abortion, the requirement may not be problematic for those concerned about indirect moral complicity.
What is not clear is whether or not the Act actually prohibits an objecting physician from providing information or advice about pregnancy options beyond the “prescribed” list. Section 7(4) states that an objecting physician may continue to “provide treatment, advice or counselling, in respect of matters other than a termination or advice regarding the full range of pregnancy options” (emphasis added) which could be taken to imply that an objecting physician is not permitted to offer a woman anything other than the prescribed list.