A bill to legalise assisted suicide has been passed by the Australian State of New South Wales (NSW).
Under the ‘Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2022’, adult NSW residents deemed to have less than six months to live, or twelve months for neurodegenerative conditions, will be able to get medical help to kill themselves.
The Bill, which passed by 23 votes to 15, is expected to become law before the end of 2023.
‘Betrayal’
NSW Minister for Employee Relations Damien Tudehope said the Bill “betrayed” those suffering from a terminal illness.
He added: “Some will say this is a great moment for NSW. I will leave here today thinking this is a dark day for our state.”
Greg Bondar, of FamilyVoice Australia, responded: “NSW has, sadly, now joined the other ‘killing states’ in Australia”.
When the Bill comes into force, safeguards protecting the terminally ill will have been ditched in all six states.
NSW has, sadly, now joined the other ‘killing states in Australia.
Great Britain
In Britain earlier this year, Westminster’s House of Lords rejected the latest attempt to legalise assisted suicide in England and Wales.
Peers voted by 179 votes to 145 against an amendment to the Health and Care Bill which sought to allow terminally ill adults to get help from doctors to kill themselves.
MSP Liam McArthur’s plans to legalise assisted suicide in Scotland are set to be delayed after an “unprecedented level of response” to his public consultation.
Since 1997, proposals for assisted suicide-related laws have been stopped on twelve occasions by UK parliamentarians.
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