The euthanasia debate raging in Australia at the moment is arguing the wrong question. The issue being talked about is the right to die. On one side there are the religious groups and right-to-lifers. On the other is Dr Nitschke, the Greens and others. While this is a very emotive and important issue it seems to me the question we should be asking is not “should euthanasia be legal” but “should a government legalise killing another person”?

Laws set the standard of what is acceptable behaviour in a society. Clearly laws don’t prevent behaviour. If they didn’t we wouldn’t have police, gaols etc. Currently it is illegal to kill another person, whether or not they are wanting to die. In this world people are killing themselves (and others) all the time. The fact that there are drugs which can be used to do this means that people will get access to them whether or not they are legal.