Voluntary Assisted Dying: Euthanasia bill introduced to parliament

Historic legislation which would give terminally ill people access to the choice to die has been introduced into NSW parliament.

A bill to legalise Voluntary Assisted Dying has been introduced into NSW parliament, with the support of 28 members of parliament.

The historic legislation would give people diagnosed with a terminal illness the ability to access the choice to die.

NSW is the only Australian state where voluntary assisted dying (VAD) remains unlawful.

Mr Greenwich said the bill will create a “safe framework” for people who are in the final stages of a terminal illness and experience “cruel suffering” which cannot be relieved by palliative care or treatment.

Member for Sydney Alex Greenwich in parliament. Picture: Dominic Lorrimer

The member for Sydney read out an emotional speech, referencing stories of people who died choking on bodily fluids and suffocated to death and others whose tumours grew so big they broke their bones.

“Without the option of voluntary assisted dying, people who receive bad news about their terminal prognosis live in fear and sadly the rate of death by suicide among people who are terminally ill is high,” he said.

“A modern advanced healthcare system would not leave anyone to feel that their only options are between a slow, cruel agonising death and a violent and lonely suicide.”

Mr Greenwich said 20 per cent of suicides in NSW in people aged over 40 are associated with a terminal illness.

He said the bill was backed by paramedics, healthcare, nursing and police unions.

If the bill is passed, people over the age of 18 with at least one “advanced” and ”progressive” terminal illness that is likely to cause death within six months, or for neurodegenerative disease within 12 months, can request to access the choice to die.

“Poll after poll, story after story, and years of compassionate campaigning across New South Wales have shown that the vast majority of this state’s citizens support voluntary assisted dying legislation,” Mr Greenwich said.

Provisions in the bill require the person to have “decision making capacity” and not be under any sort of external pressure or duress and even once approved, a person is not required to go through with the decision if they change their mind.

The bill would also establish a Voluntary Assisted Dying Board to regulate the process.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said his personal religious views do not support euthanasia and he will oppose the move but will give members of his government the opportunity to have their say through a conscience vote.

“My position on this bill is that I would personally oppose it but ultimately I will provide members of my team … a conscience vote and that’s been a longstanding tradition of the party,” he said.

“What this comes down to is providing care and compassion to those people as their life comes to an end. In many ways it’s a poor indictment of society that many people feel they have to end their life in this way.

“As a Treasurer I always tried, and on a number of occasions did, invest significant amounts in palliative care.”

He said he had spoken to Treasurer Matt Kean about further investment into palliative care.