May 19, 2022

Voluntary assisted dying is now legal in NSW

Voluntary Assisted Dying is now legal in NSW

NSW has become the last Australian state to legalise voluntary assisted dying after a marathon debate in the upper house overnight.

The push to pass voluntary assisted dying legislation in NSW was spearheaded by independent MP Alex Greenwich who told The Guardian that this landmark moment “finally passed a threshold of honesty and compassion,” for people of the state.

“Honesty that not all people die well, and compassion that people with advanced and cruel terminal illnesses will have the same end of care options as those in every other state,” he said.

Voluntary assisted dying will now be an available option for NSW residents who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness and have a life expectancy of less than six months, and those that have a life expectancy of less than 12 months who are living with a neurodegenerative condition and experiencing unbearable suffering.

The bill first passed the NSW lower house more than six months ago, despite public opposition from NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet.

However, the bill passed through the state’s upper house today at 12.30pm after a long night of deliberation that yielded over 90 amendments.

Although voluntary assisted dying is now legal in all Australian states, both the Northern Territory and the ACT currently have laws in place that prevent them from making voluntary assisted dying legal in their region.

It’s now for the federal parliament to give the territories the same ability to pass the same laws,” said Mr Greenwich.

NSW Employee Relations Minister, Damien Tudehope, opposed the passing of the bill and stated that the bill “betrayed” people suffering from terminal illness.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

What the NDIS cuts mean for people with disability and their families

The latest National Disability Insurance Scheme’s (NDIS) quarterly report shows the average plan size per participant fell 4% between 2020 and 2021. This confirms what many disability advocates have been warning about for some time: that the government is seeking to rein in costs of the NDIS by reducing individual plans. Read More

Mortified husband blames understaffing for alleged sexual assault of wife at aged care home

“I haven’t been sleeping for days and days after this happened,” the distraught 75-year-old husband shared, after witnessing an alleged sexual assault on his 70-year-old wife. Read More

Oakden victim fears Royal Commission will disappoint

  The new 2020 year dawned for most of us with a little extra hope and perhaps a little more optimism. There was a feeling the year could be a catalyst for renewal and that a determined mind could make this year better than the previous ten.  Many around the nation have their parents alive... Read More
Advertisement