{{EngvarB|date=October 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}} {{Infobox political party | abbreviation = VEP | name = Voluntary Euthanasia Party | logo = Voluntary Euthanasia Party logo.png | colorcode = #201B5B | founders = Corey McCann <br/> Richard Mills <br/> Philip Nitschke | leader1_title = Convenor | leader1_name = Kerry Bromson | foundation = {{Start date and age|1 June 2013}} | dissolved = {{Start date and age|March 2021}} | predecessor = Independent Voluntary Euthanasia | ideology = Single-issue politics | website = http://vep.org.au (defunct) | country = Australia | merged = Reason Australia }} The '''Voluntary Euthanasia Party''' ('''VEP''') was a minor political party in Australia, founded in early 2013 by Corey McCann to advocate for legislative change to allow voluntary euthanasia in Australia. The party's inception was strongly supported by Dr Philip Nitschke, director of Exit International and Richard Mills, then President of Dying with Dignity NSW.
The VEP was registered as a political party from June 2013 to March 2021,<ref name=aec>[http://www.aec.gov.au/Parties_and_Representatives/party_registration/Registration_Decisions/2013/5146.htm Application for registration approved – Voluntary Euthanasia Party], Australian Electoral Commission, 1 June 2013.</ref><ref name="aec2021">{{cite web |title=Voluntary Euthanasia Party Voluntary Deregistration |url=https://www.aec.gov.au/Parties_and_Representatives/Party_Registration/Deregistered_parties/files/voluntary-deregistration-web-notice-voluntary-euthanasia-party.pdf |website=Australian Electoral Commission |access-date=7 March 2021}}</ref> and had a federal branch as well as state branches in New South Wales and Victoria. In 2019, the New South Wales branch voted to become the branch of the Reason Party in that state, while the Victorian branch voluntarily de-registered in 2020 following that state's implementation of assisted suicide laws.
== History ==
Before the party was founded and registered, a number of pro-voluntary euthanasia groups contested elections in South Australia. Doug McLaren was an 'Independent for Voluntary Euthanasia' candidate in 1997, before Nitschke led the 'Independent Voluntary Euthanasia' legislative council ticket in 2002.
'Independent Christians for Voluntary Euthanasia' both contested the 2010 election, and 'Independent Legalise Voluntary Euthanasia' ran in 2014.
The party was founded in 2013 to bring attention to the need for voluntary assisted dying law reform and to bring together advocates from the Dying with Dignity and Exit International movements. The immediate goal of the VEP was to make voluntary euthanasia a central issue at the September 2013 Federal election.
In December 2019, the VEP's NSW branch voted overwhelmingly to become the NSW branch of the Reason Party, on the grounds that being a single issue political party was a liability, and the Reason party were established supporters of voluntary euthanasia. Reason party leader Fiona Patten also stated the merger made sense for Reason as they did not have a branch in NSW, where VEP was well established.<ref name=reason>{{cite web |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/new-voices-reason-party-comes-to-nsw-to-revive-push-for-assisted-dying-laws-20191227-p53n98.html |title='New voices': Reason Party comes to NSW to revive push for assisted dying laws |last=Fitzsimmons |first=Caitlin |date=December 29, 2019 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald }}</ref> The Victorian branch was voluntarily de-registered with the Victorian Electoral Commission in July 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=Media release |url=https://www.vision6.com.au/v/59119/1074797/email.html?k=tIFRVyiDNYhHI7onk5rxE1N6Tk_2Hh_HXmeNivs-irQ |website=www.vision6.com.au |access-date=7 March 2021}}</ref> The federal party was the last to de-register, voluntarily de-registering in March 2021.<ref name="aec2021"/>
== Executive committee == Professor Ranjan Ray, former President of the Western Australia Voluntary Euthanasia Society, was the first convenor of the Party, and was succeeded by Kerry Bromson in October 2014. Philip Nitschke, the founder of Exit International, was the Deputy Convenor until October 2016, followed by Kym Buckley (2016–2017), and Shayne Higson (2017–2019). The Party Secretaries have been Corey McCann (2013–2015), Sandi Steep (2015–2016), David Mahoney (2016–2017), Sue Inglis (2018) and Julie Hanley (2018–2019). The Party Treasurers have been Jane Stabb (2013–2015), Justin Templer (2015–2016) and Sandi Steep (2016–2019).
== Definitions == There is no universally agreed definition of "voluntary euthanasia". Terms like dying with dignity, physician-assisted dying, physician-assisted suicide and voluntary assisted dying are also used. The VEP regards voluntary euthanasia as involving a request by a terminally or incurably ill person for medical assistance to end his or her life painlessly and peacefully. A doctor may administer the medication or prescribe medication that the patient self-administers.
== Election campaigns == The VEP participated in six Australian elections. They did not win any seats, though increased their percentage of votes at each re-contested election.
=== Federal=== The VEP nominated seven candidates at the 2013 Australian federal election: six candidates for the Senate (two each in New South Wales, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory); and a candidate for the House of Representatives seat of Solomon in the Northern Territory.<ref name=sbs>{{cite news|title=Voluntary Euthanasia Party bids for Senate seats|url=http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/08/29/voluntary-euthanasia-party-bids-senate-seats|access-date=2 December 2013|newspaper=SBS News|date=2 September 2013}}</ref> Three of the candidates were terminally ill.<ref name=abc>{{cite news|last=Di Stefano|first=Mark|title=Voluntary Euthanasia Party is born|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-19/euthanasia-party-born/4897306|access-date=2 December 2013|publisher=ABC News|date=19 August 2013}}</ref> The VEP received 21,854 first preference votes in the Senate (0.16% of votes), while the sole House of Representatives candidate received 597 votes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://results.aec.gov.au/17496/Website/HouseStateFirstPrefsByParty-17496-NAT.htm |title=First Preferences By Party |work=Australian Electoral Commission |date=2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180223084506/https://results.aec.gov.au/17496/Website/HouseStateFirstPrefsByParty-17496-NAT.htm |archive-date=February 23, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://results.aec.gov.au/17496/Website/SenateStateFirstPrefsByGroup-17496-NAT.htm |title=First Preferences By Group |date=2013 |work=Australian Electoral Commission |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223042952/https://results.aec.gov.au/17496/Website/SenateStateFirstPrefsByGroup-17496-NAT.htm |archive-date=December 23, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>
The VEP nominated seven candidates at the 2016 Australian federal election: six candidates for the Senate (two each in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria); and a candidate for the House of Representatives seat of Menzies in Victoria.<ref name="2016candidates">{{cite web |url=http://www.aec.gov.au/election/candidates.htm |title=Candidates for the 2016 federal election |date=12 June 2016 |access-date=12 June 2016 |publisher=Australian Electoral Commission}}</ref> The VEP received 23,252 first preference votes in the Senate (0.17% of votes), while the sole House of Representatives candidate received 973 votes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://results.aec.gov.au/20499/Website/HouseStateFirstPrefsByParty-20499-NAT.htm |title=First preferences by party |date=2016 |work=Australian Electoral Commission |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181229183840/https://results.aec.gov.au/20499/Website/HouseStateFirstPrefsByParty-20499-NAT.htm |archive-date=December 29, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://results.aec.gov.au/20499/Website/SenateStateFirstPrefsByGroup-20499-NAT.htm |title=First preferences by Senate group |date=2016 |work=Australian Electoral Commission |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013211626/https://results.aec.gov.au/20499/Website/SenateStateFirstPrefsByGroup-20499-NAT.htm |archive-date=October 13, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>
The VEP did not run any candidates in the 2019 Australian federal election, rather they focused on canvassing the views of major candidates in key electorates.
===Victorian state elections=== The VEP fielded ten candidates in five Victorian Legislative Council regions at the 2014 Victorian state election on 29 November 2014. The lead candidate was Dr Fiona Stewart, public health sociologist and co-author of four books about end of life issues including ''The Peaceful Pill Handbook''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Voluntary Euthanasia Professional – Doctor Fiona Stewart|publisher=Peacefulpillhandbook.com|url=http://www.peacefulpillhandbook.com/page/Fiona+Stewart|access-date=12 October 2014|archive-date=30 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141030170722/http://www.peacefulpillhandbook.com/page/Fiona+Stewart|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Dovey|first1=Ceridwen|title=Philip Nitschke's wife, Fiona Stewart, on being the 'woman behind the man'|url=http://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/2014/08/23/philip-nitschkes-wife-fiona-stewart-being-the-woman-behind-the-man/1408716000|website=The Saturday Paper|date=23 August 2014|access-date=12 October 2014|archive-date=17 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017041715/http://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/2014/08/23/philip-nitschkes-wife-fiona-stewart-being-the-woman-behind-the-man/1408716000|url-status=dead}}</ref> The VEP received 16,772 first preference votes (0.49% of votes).<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Results/State2014/Summary.html |title = State Election 2014 results |archive-url=https://archive.today/20141215115936/http://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Results/State2014/Summary.html |archive-date=December 15, 2014 |work=Victorian Electoral Commission |url-status=live}}</ref>
The VEP fielded sixteen candidates in eight Victorian Legislative Council regions at the 2018 Victorian state election on 24 November 2018. The VEP received 42,611 first preference votes (1.19% of votes).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Results/State2018/summary.html |title=State Election 2018 results |date=2018 |work=Victorian Electoral Commission |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129080416/https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/Results/State2018/summary.html |archive-date=January 29, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>
===New South Wales state elections=== The VEP stood sixteen candidates for the New South Wales Legislative Council in the 2015 New South Wales state election on 28 March 2015. The lead candidate was Shayne Higson. Higson began advocating for voluntary assisted dying legislation after her mother died from a brain tumour in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Caddy |first1=Amelia |title=Shayne helpless in the face of mother's suffering |url=http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/1493221/shayne-helpless-in-the-face-of-mothers-suffering/ |website=The Illawarra Mercury |date=11 May 2013 |access-date=12 October 2014}}</ref> The VEP received 40,710 votes (0.94% of votes).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pastvtr.elections.nsw.gov.au/SGE2015/lc/state/fp_by_grp/index.htm |title=First Preference Group Votes - Check Count Complete |date=2015 |work=New South Wales Electoral Commission |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817195952/http://pastvtr.elections.nsw.gov.au/SGE2015/lc/state/fp_by_grp/index.htm |archive-date=August 17, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>
The VEP stood sixteen candidates for the New South Wales Legislative Council in the 2019 New South Wales state election on 23 March 2019. Shayne Higson resumed her role as lead candidate.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/NSWEC/media/NSWEC/SGE%202019/ballot-papers/LC_Ballot_Paper_NSW_2019.pdf |title=New South Wales 2019 Election - Legislative Council – Ballot Paper |date=8 March 2019 |publisher=NSW Electoral Commission |access-date=10 March 2019}}</ref> The VEP received 46,971 votes (1.06% of votes).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://vtr.elections.nsw.gov.au/lc/state/fp_by_grp |title= Legislative Council Check Count Statewide Summary |work=New South Wales Electoral Commission |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425080119/https://vtr.elections.nsw.gov.au/lc/state/fp_by_grp |archive-date=April 25, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> Higson finished in 26th place out of 364 candidates; seats were awarded to those who finished in the top 21 places.
In 2019, the New South Wales branch voted to become the branch of the Reason Party in that state, while the Victorian branch voluntarily de-registered in 2020 following that state's implementation of assisted suicide laws. In late 2022, the NSW branch of Reason changed its name to the Public Education Party. No explanation was publicly given for the name change.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.6newsau.com/post/reason-party-applies-to-change-their-name-to-public-education-party-in-nsw |title=Reason Party applies to change their name to Public Education Party in NSW |last=Puglisi |first=Leonardo |authorlink=Leonardo Puglisi |date=22 November 2022 |work=6 News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128093606/https://www.6newsau.com/post/reason-party-applies-to-change-their-name-to-public-education-party-in-nsw |archive-date=28 November 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>
==See also== * Euthanasia in Australia * Freedom of choice * Right to die
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20201129075828/https://www.vep.org.au/ Official website] at the Internet Archive
{{Defunct Australian political parties}} {{New South Wales political parties}} {{Political parties in Victoria (Australia)}}
Category:2013 establishments in Australia Category:Euthanasia in Australia Category:Euthanasia organizations Category:Political parties established in 2013 Category:Defunct political parties in Australia Category:Defunct political parties in New South Wales Category:Defunct political parties in Victoria (state) Category:Single-issue political parties in Australia Category:Political parties disestablished in 2021 Category:Single-issue political parties