On Wednesday May 11, the NSW Upper House voted to progress the NSW Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) Bill through to the next stage in the parliamentary process. NSW is the only state in Australia that does not (yet) allow assisted dying for terminally ill people.
Last November, the Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) Bill 2021 passed the NSW Lower House. Now, the state’s upper house passed the bill at the second reading stage in a 20 to 17 vote.
“This is an important milestone and we thank everyone in the upper house who has worked together to make this happen,” Dying with Dignity NSW President Penny Hackett said.
The bill will move to the upper house’s committee stage for amendments. The debate on Wednesday May 18 can be followed online: Legislative Council chamber webcast (nsw.gov.au)
If everything goes well, the Bill can become law by the end of that week.
Read more
- NSW voluntary assisted dying law advances | 7NEWS
- Sydney News: Investigation launched into Sydney Council over Mascot Tower safety saga – ABC News
- The vulnerable v the entitled: how VAD has become a ‘hugely unfair fight’ (smh.com.au)
- “BREAKING: The VAD Bill has passed critical stage in the NSW Upper House / Twitter
- Emotions run high as showdown on NSW assisted dying bill approaches | New South Wales politics | The Guardian
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