RIGHT to Life Australia has slammed as sick and dangerous a Melbourne International Comedy Festival show from controversial Territory-based euthanasia advocate Philip Nitschke.<\/p>\n
The deregistered doctor\u2019s show, Dicing with Dr Death, is part of the festival\u2019s official program and broadcaster Derryn Hinch is on board to demonstrate Nitschke\u2019s \u201cdestiny\u201d suicide machine using non-lethal gas.<\/p>\n
Right to Life president Margaret Tighe said it was \u201cdespicable\u201d that Nitschke had found a new platform to peddle his \u201cdangerous\u201d views.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very sick, making a comedy out of procuring death. He seems to get some weird pleasure out of helping people to die,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Philip Nitschke\u2019s Melbourne Comedy Festival involving media personality Derryn Hinch has come under fire from Right to Life Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are many people in the community who are sad and lonely. These people are very vulnerable and then this guy comes along and he\u2019s a doctor and he tells them how to end their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
Authorities in the UK were unsuccessful in stopping Nitschke\u2019s show from proceeding at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, but restrictions were put on the use of the suicide machine.<\/p>\n
The Melbourne comedy festival defended its decision to green-light Nitschke\u2019s show, saying it was an open-access event and anyone could present a show.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe festival carried out a full assessment on the risk and safety elements of this show which raised no grounds for concern,\u201d executive director Damien Hodgkinson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHumour can be a powerful method to initiate discussion and present disparate points of view.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nitschke said his show was an entertaining exploration of the serious subject of ending life effectively, reliably and peacefully. He said the second half of the show was the \u201cteaching part\u201d, during which he would use the \u201cdestiny\u201d machine and explain the best drugs to use and how to obtain them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m well aware the accusation could be made that it\u2019s tacky and in bad taste,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been giving public talks for a long time and it\u2019s pretty clear that when people are laughing they take a lot more away from these meetings.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt made me think there\u2019s a broader audience out there and a different strategy worth trying.\u201d Nitschke said the \u201cdestiny\u201d machine had not been used to end a person\u2019s life, but was built for that purpose in the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a very serious machine. It wasn\u2019t built for the show,\u201d he said. \u201cSuicide is not a crime.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hinch said he was happy to be Nitschke\u2019s guinea pig and had been supporting his work around euthanasia for more than 20 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe it is your ultimate civil right,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ms Tighe said Nitschke would stop at nothing to broadcast his views with tragic consequences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
RIGHT to Life Australia has slammed as sick and dangerous a Melbourne International Comedy Festival show from controversial Territory-based euthanasia advocate Philip Nitschke. The deregistered doctor\u2019s show, Dicing with Dr Death, is part of the festival\u2019s official program and broadcaster Derryn Hinch is on board to demonstrate Nitschke\u2019s \u201cdestiny\u201d suicide machine using non-lethal gas. Right […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n