Voluntary Assisted Dying
Last week I introduced the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill in the NSW Parliament. The bill has 28 co-sponsors from across the political spectrum – more than any other bill in the Parliament’s history!
It is a conservative, safe bill that will ensure that only people who are at the end stage of a terminal illness, whose suffering can no longer be alleviated by treatment and palliative care, and who are able to make an informed decision on their end-of-life choices, can access assistance.
We received petitions from over 100,000 people in support of the reform and released new data showing that around 20 percent of suicides in people over the age of 40 are associated with a terminal illness. You may have read some of the heartbreaking pleas from dying people and families who have seen loved ones die a slow agonising death. It is my hope that the parliament can resolve this issue by the end of the year.