At 4:10pm on Wednesday 22nd November, the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill passed both Houses of the Victorian Parliament. The Victorian Governor has signed the Bill into an Act, so it is now law in Victoria, though not yet in effect. The Act will come into effect in June 2019, given Victorian residents facing intolerable suffering from an incurable illness, and who meet a number of hurdles, to lawfully request and obtain a peaceful death assisted by their doctor.
Victorians are a step closer to having the choice of assisted dying in the face of a terminal illness. After a marathon all-nighter sitting, the Legislative Assembly (lower house) this morning passed the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2017. The Bill will now be sent to the Legislative Council (upper house).
The vote was won convincingly at 47:37, despite heroic efforts of opponents to create FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) through extensive misinformation, and filibustering the Bill's progress by putting up amendements to numerous clauses.
The Legislative Council is expected to debate the Bill next month.
In great news for Victorians, yesterday (20th September 2017), the Government tabled its Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill into the lower house of the legislature. The Bill is comprehensive, offering Victorians a further end-of-life choice, with numerous safeguards, and the stiffest pentalties worldwide for breaking the rules.
Parliamentary debate on the Bill is likely to commence mid October, so now is the time to contact your own members of the Victorian parliament and let them know you support the Bill. If you don't know which electorate you live in or who your members are, or don't have their contact details, then:
The Standing Committee on Legal and Social Issues (Legislation and References) of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia, has recommended that the Government introduce leglislation to allow assisted dying in restricted circumstances.
In excellent news for Victorians, the LSIC has recommended that the Government legislate to allow assisted dying in restricted circumstances.
"Recommendation 49: The Government should introduce legislation to allow adults with decision making capacity, suffering from a serious and incurable condition who are at the end of life to be provided assistance to die in certain circumstances."
The recommendations include:
You can read the full report here.
The recommendation has yet to translate into a Bill and a majority vote of both Houses of the Victorian Parliament. Some parliamentarians are intractably opposed to this reform and it's important that policitians hear from you to know that you want them to support the reform.
Sign the petition to go to all Victorian parliamentarians now, and spread the word!
Submissions were invited from interested individuals and organisations into end-of-life decision-making in Victoria, including:
Submissions to the inquiry, which have not been requested to remain confidential, are published on the Parliamentary website here.
Despite the Terms of Reference for the inquiry (below) do not mention assisted dying, almost all submissions to the inquiry have been made either to support or oppose the legalisation of voluntary euthanasia or physician-assisted dying. Clearly, the community is strongly engaged with the issue.
More information is available on the Victorian Parliament Inquiry's website.
On 7 May 2015 the Legislative Council agreed to the following motion:
That pursuant to Sessional Order 6 this House requires the Legal and Social Issues Committee to inquire into, consider and report, no later than 31 May 2016, on the need for laws in Victoria to allow citizens to make informed decisions regarding their own end of life choices and, in particular, the Committee should —