March 27, 2016
Dr Death comedy show labelled ‘despicable’, ‘sick’ & ‘dangerous’
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’s show, Dicing with Dr Death, is part of the festival’s official program and broadcaster Derryn Hinch is on board to demonstrate Nitschke’s “destiny” suicide machine using non-lethal gas.
Right to Life president Margaret Tighe said it was “despicable” that Nitschke had found a new platform to peddle his “dangerous” views.
“It’s very sick, making a comedy out of procuring death. He seems to get some weird pleasure out of helping people to die,” she said.
Philip Nitschke’s Melbourne Comedy Festival involving media personality Derryn Hinch has come under fire from Right to Life Australia.
“There are many people in the community who are sad and lonely. These people are very vulnerable and then this guy comes along and he’s a doctor and he tells them how to end their lives.”
Authorities in the UK were unsuccessful in stopping Nitschke’s show from proceeding at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, but restrictions were put on the use of the suicide machine.
The Melbourne comedy festival defended its decision to green-light Nitschke’s show, saying it was an open-access event and anyone could present a show.
“The festival carried out a full assessment on the risk and safety elements of this show which raised no grounds for concern,” executive director Damien Hodgkinson said.
“Humour can be a powerful method to initiate discussion and present disparate points of view.”
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 “teaching part”, during which he would use the “destiny” machine and explain the best drugs to use and how to obtain them.
“I’m well aware the accusation could be made that it’s tacky and in bad taste,” he said.
“I’ve been giving public talks for a long time and it’s pretty clear that when people are laughing they take a lot more away from these meetings.
“It made me think there’s a broader audience out there and a different strategy worth trying.” Nitschke said the “destiny” machine had not been used to end a person’s life, but was built for that purpose in the future.
“This is a very serious machine. It wasn’t built for the show,” he said. “Suicide is not a crime.”
Hinch said he was happy to be Nitschke’s guinea pig and had been supporting his work around euthanasia for more than 20 years.
“I believe it is your ultimate civil right,” he said.
Ms Tighe said Nitschke would stop at nothing to broadcast his views with tragic consequences.