Editing Philip Nitschke (section)

==Early career==
After graduating Nitschke worked as an intern at [[Royal Darwin Hospital]], and then as an after-hours [[general practitioner]]. When the [[Northern Territory]] branch of the [[Australian Medical Association]] publicly opposed the proposed Northern Territory legislation to provide for legal euthanasia, Nitschke and a small group of dissenting Territory doctors published a contrary opinion in the [[NT News]] under the banner ''Doctors for change''. This put him in a position of an informal spokesperson for the proposed legislation.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Dammed if I do|last=Nitschke|first=Philip|publisher=Melbourne University Press|year=2013|location=Carlton}}</ref> After the [[Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995|Rights of the Terminally Ill Act]] (ROTI Act) came into force on 1 July 1996, Nitschke assisted four terminally ill people to end their lives using the [[Euthanasia device|Deliverance Machine]] he developed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/objects/display?id=91717|title=Euthanasia machine, Australia, 1995-1996|website=www.sciencemuseum.org.uk|access-date=2016-12-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220083940/http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/objects/display?id=91717|archive-date=20 December 2016|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> This practice was ceased when the ROTI Act was effectively nullified by the Australian Parliament's [[Euthanasia Laws Act 1997]].

In the [[1996 Australian federal election]] Nitschke ran in the seat of [[Division of Northern Territory|the Northern Territory]] for the [[Australian Greens]] but was unsuccessful.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Carr |first1=Adam |title=Commonwealth Of Australia Legislative Election Of 2 March 1996 |url=http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/1996/1996repsnt.txt |website=Psephos |access-date=21 July 2020}}</ref>

After the ROTI Act was nullified Nitschke began providing advice to others about how they can end their lives, leading to the formation of Exit International in 1997. A notable case of Nitschke's was that of [[Nancy Crick]], aged 69. On 22 May 2002, Crick, in the presence of over 20 friends and family (but not Nitschke), took a lethal dose of [[barbiturates]], went quickly to sleep, and died within 20 minutes. Nitschke had encouraged Crick to enter palliative care, which she did for a number of days before returning home again. She had undergone multiple surgeries to treat bowel cancer and was left with multiple dense and inoperable bowel adhesions that left her in constant pain and frequently in the toilet with diarrhoea.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/rn/breakfast/stories/2002/564719.htm |title=Radio National Breakfast – 27&nbsp;May 2002 – Nancy Crick's Cancer |publisher=www.abc.net.au |access-date=11 October 2009 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> She was not, however, [[terminal illness|terminally ill]] at the time of her death.<ref>
{{cite news
|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/05/30/1022569797373.html
|title=Spotlight shifted onto Crick doctor
|publisher=www.smh.com.au
|access-date=24 May 2009
|date=30 May 2002
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922174448/http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/05/30/1022569797373.html
|archive-date=22 September 2008
|url-status=live
|df=dmy-all
}}
</ref><ref name="bowel">{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/06/08/1086460287472.html |title=Crick had no cancer: report – National – www.theage.com.au |publisher=theage.com.au |access-date=11 October 2009 |location=Melbourne |date=8 June 2004 |first=Dale |last=Paget |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104074418/http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/06/08/1086460287472.html |archive-date=4 November 2012 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Nitschke said the scar tissue from previous cancer surgery had caused her suffering. "She didn't actually want to die when she had cancer. She wanted to die after she had cancer treatment," he said.<ref name="bowel" />

Nitschke made headlines in [[New Zealand]] when he announced plans to accompany eight New Zealanders to [[Mexico]] where the drug [[Nembutal]], capable of producing a fatal overdose, can be purchased legally.<ref>{{cite news | title = NZ offered Mexican Suicide Drug Trip | work = The Age | url = http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/NZ-offered-Mexican-suicide-drug-trips/2007/02/06/1170524056505.html | date = 6 February 2007 | location = Melbourne | access-date = 6 February 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081016094810/http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/NZ-offered-Mexican-suicide-drug-trips/2007/02/06/1170524056505.html | archive-date = 16 October 2008 | url-status = live | df = dmy-all }}</ref> He also made headlines, even angering some fellow [[right-to-die]] advocates, when he presented his plan to launch a "death ship" that would have allowed him to circumvent local laws by euthanising people from around the world in international waters.<ref>
{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.internationaltaskforce.org/iua21.htm
 |title       = InternationalTaskForce.org – Update – 2000, Number 2
 |publisher   = www.internationaltaskforce.org
 |access-date  = 19 December 2008
 |url-status     = usurped
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20081228124139/http://www.internationaltaskforce.org/iua21.htm
 |archive-date = 28 December 2008
 |df          = dmy-all
}}
</ref>

In the [[2007 Australian federal election]] Nitschke ran against the Australian politician [[Kevin Andrews (Australian politician)|Kevin Andrews]] in the [[Victoria (Australia)|Victorian]] seat of [[Division of Menzies|Menzies]] but was unsuccessful.<ref>{{cite web| title = Election results for the seat of Menzies (Australian Electoral Commission)| url = http://results.aec.gov.au/13745/website/HouseDivisionFirstPrefs-13745-229.htm| date = 26 November 2007| access-date = 30 May 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080720183328/http://results.aec.gov.au/13745/Website/HouseDivisionFirstPrefs-13745-229.htm| archive-date = 20 July 2008| url-status = live| df = dmy-all}}</ref>

In 2009 Nitschke helped to promote ''Dignified Departure'', a 13-hour, pay-television program on doctor-assisted suicide in [[Hong Kong]] and mainland [[China]]. The program aired in October in China on the Family Health channel, run by the official [[China National Radio]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=ac_J3XqlfuhM |title='Dr. Death' Nitschke Sells Euthanasia to China Before TV Show - Bloomberg.com |publisher=www.bloomberg.com |access-date=16 September 2009 }}</ref>

Organisations opposed to euthanasia,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.catholicweekly.com.au/article.php?classID=1&subclassID=2&articleID=13588|title=Curb adventurist stance on euthanasia|author=Hiini, Robert|date=23 July 2014|work=[[The Catholic Weekly|Catholic Weekly]]|access-date=24 July 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729032606/http://www.catholicweekly.com.au/article.php?classID=1&subclassID=2&articleID=13588|archive-date=29 July 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2014/07/looking-for-the-foot-in-the-door-euphemisms-in-euthanasia-assisted-suicide-debate/|title=Looking for the foot in the door: euphemisms in euthanasia & assisted suicide debate|author=Russell, Paul|date=21 July 2014|work=[[National Right to Life Committee|National Right to Life]]|access-date=24 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808171413/http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2014/07/looking-for-the-foot-in-the-door-euphemisms-in-euthanasia-assisted-suicide-debate/|archive-date=8 August 2014|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> as well as some supporting euthanasia, are critical of Nitschke and his methods.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.skynews.com.au/news/politics/national/2014/07/24/kennett-says-nitschke-has-damaged-the-cause.html|title=Kennett says Nitschke has damaged the cause|date=24 July 2014|work=[[Sky News]]|access-date=24 July 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140725214023/http://www.skynews.com.au/news/politics/national/2014/07/24/kennett-says-nitschke-has-damaged-the-cause.html|archive-date=25 July 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-07/nitschke-a-maverick-suicide-campaigner-rodney-syme-says/5579802|title=Euthanasia debate, Doctor assisted death advocate Rodney Syme attacks 'maverick' Nitschke after revelations|author=Hermant, Norman|date=24 July 2014|work=[[ABC News (Australia)]]|access-date=24 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140724140721/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-07/nitschke-a-maverick-suicide-campaigner-rodney-syme-says/5579802|archive-date=24 July 2014|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>