I am seeking your views on an important issue. The Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill.
Conscience votes or ‘free votes’ occur in Westminster style Parliaments from time to time, generally on contentious social and moral issues. Before the end of this year, all 93 Members of the NSW Parliament will vote on the ‘Voluntary Assisted Dying’ Bill. Call it what you will, euthanasia, dying with dignity, voluntary assisted dying…the Bill evokes a passionate response from people across our community.
The Bill is designed to give people control over the timing of their death at a time when their death is imminent, and they feel they have suffered enough. It contains a number of safeguards.
The facts about Voluntary Assisted Dying:
NSW Parliament last debated voluntary assisted dying (VAD) in 2017. The bill was defeated by one vote in the Upper House. NSW is now the only state without a voluntary assisted dying law.
Victoria’s law has been in operation since 2019, so we now have two years of robust evidence of how VAD works in an Australian context. Three parliamentary inquiries in Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland have examined the issues in depth.
Who would be eligible to access assisted dying under this legislation?
Only adults diagnosed with a terminal illness that will cause death within six months, or 12 months for neurodegenerative conditions, and who are experiencing suffering as a result of the condition that cannot be tolerably relieved will be able to access voluntary assisted dying.
What protections exist to stop a vulnerable person from being pressured?
Two experienced doctors will need to independently assess a person seeking assistance and independently come to the conclusion that they are acting voluntarily and without any form of pressure or duress. If there is concern that someone is not acting voluntarily or that pressure or duress is playing a role, an appeal can be made to the Supreme Court, during which there is a pause in the application process.
What about protections for people who are terminally ill who might feel that they are a burden to their family or carers?
The process itself is designed to give the person time to think about their decision. The person must repeat the request on three separate occasions, including in a written declaration signed by two witnesses independent of the voluntary assisted dying doctors, and there is a mandatory five-day cooling off period between the first request and the final request.
I have had the opportunity to hear directly from many in our community who have experienced the most challenging of circumstances with a terminally ill loved one towards the end of their life. I thank them for their heartfelt testimony. There are various safeguards in the Bill and I believe these resolve a number of concerns that people have raised. I felt it important to outline some key aspects of the Legislation so that you too can have an informed view. I welcome you sharing your view with me, so I can ultimately represent you as best as I possibly can in NSW Parliament.
You can fill out a survey on my website, www.jamesgriffinmp.com/voluntary_assisted_dying or email me directly via manly@parliament.nsw.gov.au if you would like to share your views.