Push to speed up Victorian assisted dying bill

Victoria’s euthanasia debate has turned nasty with threats to gag MPs who seek to delay the vote on the bill.

Andrews government MPs have flagged they could use gag orders to speed up a painstaking debate on Victoria’s euthanasia plan, in an attempt to ram the legislation through before the end of the year.

Victorian upper house MPs ­reconvened yesterday to spend a seventh day debating the state’s Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill, which has divided the upper house.

MPs began the day debating clause nine of the 140-clause bill. By 4.40pm, debate had reached clause 11 of the bill, with another 129 to go.

Leader of the government in the Legislative Council, Gavin Jennings, said Labor would consider using a gag order or a “closure motion” to speed up debate, arguing that the bill’s opponents were filibustering and deliberately stalling debate.

“When they run out of argument, they just keep regurgitating either extracts from articles or try to delay the passage of the legislation,” Mr Jennings said.

“If people were actually wanting to amend this legislation to improve it, good on them ... It’s when they keep going over the same ground again and again.”

The government is under pressure to speed up the progress of the bill, given there are just two sitting weeks left before MPs break for Christmas.

Upper house MPs have been recalled this week to sit, even though it is a non-sitting week, after debate was suspended last week when an MP collapsed at the end of an exhausting 26-hour sitting debating the bill. According to the government, the bill needs to reach a conclusion in the upper house to free the house of review for more debate on issues including a taxis transition plan and fire services.

Opposition MPs raged against the government’s decision, arguing it was trying to shut down debate on an issue of life and death.

“Why is the government trying to force parliament to sit non-stop debating a law not due to start until 2019 — trying to escape scrutiny through depriving MPs of sleep until they pass it? Not a good way to make laws on life and death matters,” Liberal frontbencher Robert Clark said.

Others accused opponents of filibustering.

“I have heard the same speech 3000 different ways. I know you will vote no and I respect your views but let’s get this done for those suffering,” Labor MP Mark Gepp said.

MPs are allowed a conscience vote on the bill which proposes to give terminally ill patients over 18 and with less than 12 months life expectancy the right to choose when they die, but the house remains divided, with the government still one vote off the 21 it needs to pass the bill.

The debate comes as opponents of the plan continue to argue that more needs to be done to the state’s palliative care services before voluntary assisted dying becomes an option.

New analysis compiled by Palliative Care Victoria, which ­opposes voluntary assisted dying, has attacked a new government palliative care package. It says it fails to adequately cater to ­regional areas which are currently suffering from patchy coverage in services.