Local convenor Annie Quadroy said it was an absolute coup in attracting someone of the calibre of Prof Fitzgerald.

“Professor Fitzgerald wears many hats: political commentator, historian, novelist,  secularist, Academic and Ambassador for Dying with Dignity NSW,” said Ms Quadroy.

“He was awarded the Order of Australia some years ago for significant service to education in the field of politics and history.

Emeritus Professor of History and Politics at Griffith University, Ross Fitzgerald has written 39 books on history, philosophy, alcohol and sports as well as a number of novels including "My Name Is Ross: An Alcoholic's Journey and a political/sexual satire "Going Out Backwards: A Grafton Everest Adventure".

“Professor Fitzgerald thinks that assisted dying laws are a no-brainer. 

"If the laws in Australian are to be changed to allow physician assisted dying, as individual citizens, and as members of groups including ‘Dying with Dignity’, we need to actively lobby for the right to make end-of-life choices for ourselves.

“We need to demand that the Catholic, Anglican and other churches, the Australian Christian Lobby and their politician fellow-travellers explain where they get the right to demand that palliative care staff must keep people alive against their wishes rather than assisting them to die with dignity.

“Remember that, when it comes to Dying with Dignity, it is crucial that we ensure that the personal is indeed political and that we understand that there is still a long way to go until the battle is won."

Mrs Quadroy said the group was delighted with the recent news that the NSW Cross Party Parliamentary Working Party on Assisted Dying intends to table a bill in Parliament later this year.

“Despite that old chestnut of the slippery slope being constantly argued by opponents, there is absolutely no evidence of this occurring anywhere in world where assisted dying laws have been in place for decades,” she said.

“Successive Australia governments have consistently ignored the fact that 80% of the population is in favour of legalising choice of assisted dying for the terminally ill.

"Assisted dying laws do not mean more deaths; they do mean less suffering.”

Port Panthers is the venue for the meeting on Tuesday February 21 at 10am.  $5 donation includes morning tea and everyone is welcome.