23.11.2021
2 min read

NSW parliament resumes dying bill debate

NSW parliament will resume debate on a voluntary assisted dying bill, with Treasurer Matt Kean and former Nationals Leader John Barilaro among its proponents.
Tiffanie TurnbullBy Tiffanie Turnbull
NSW Treasurer Matt Kean is among the supporters of the voluntary assisted dying bill being debated.

Laws that would legalise voluntary assisted dying are just nine supporters short of passing in the NSW parliament, as debate on the issue resumes.

NSW Treasurer Matt Kean and former deputy premier John Barilaro are among 38 MPs who have argued for a voluntary assisted dying bill during the debate.

The bill requires 47 votes to clear the lower house.

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Mr Barilaro used his final speech in parliament to support the reform, saying it is a politician's job to improve the lives of their communities - particularly vulnerable people.

"The conditions of good death, and enabling every person to experience them anywhere in the state, and under any set of circumstances, is the foundation of a deeply compassionate and dignified modern society," he said.

Also in favour of the bill was Treasurer Matt Kean who said he was the Christian son of devoted Catholics, but motivated by his "enduring attachment" to personal liberty.

Twenty-six MPs have spoken against the bill so far, with all members afforded a conscience vote.

A number of those who opposed the bill suggested the solution was increased funding for palliative care, while others worried it would stand contrary to the Crimes Act, and that disabled people could be pressured.

Premier Dominic Perrottet and Opposition Leader Chris Minns - both Catholics - will oppose the bill.

However, Labor deputy leader Prue Car on Friday said she was also a Catholic, but that meant approaching the world with compassion for others.

"I actually can't think of anything more compassionate than this ... It's voluntary," she said.

The bill will likely go to a vote next Thursday, when attention will then turn to debating suggested amendments.

Sydney MP Alex Greenwich, who drafted the bill, said he was negotiating in good faith with a number of MPs.

If it passes, it would make NSW the last state in Australia to permit voluntary assisted dying.

The proposed legislation restricts euthanasia to terminally ill people who would die in no more than 12 months.

Two doctors will have to assess applicants, and the bill makes a criminal offence of attempting to induce a person to apply for voluntary assisted dying.