Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Australian federal Senator asks for more funding for palliative care

While on my Australian tour, I had the priviledge of meeting the Hon Michael Polley, the speaker of the house in Tasmania. His sister, Helen Polley, used the occasion of my Australian speaking tour to push the Australian parliament for more funding for palliative care.

The article that was published in ABC news in Tasmania on October 14, entitled MP seeks more money for palliative care stated:
A Tasmanian Labor Senator wants the Federal and State Governments to increase palliative care funding.

Helen Polley has made the call during the visit to Tasmania of a prominent Canadian anti-euthanasia campaigner, Alex Schadenberg, who'll be talking to state MP's and Catholic clergy.

Senator Polley has urged people to consider Mr Schadenberg's views.

Senator Polley says palliative care deserves a higher priority.

"Palliative care is an essential part of health care and it certainly should be given a higher priority than the State Government introducing, well the Attorney-General and the Greens, introducing legislation to legalise the murder of another human being by introducing legislation for euthanasia," she said.

A spokesman for the state's Health Minister says funding for palliative care in northern Tasmania alone, will increase by $2.5 million over the next three years.

The Polley family are great Tasmanians.

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