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NSW voluntary assisted dying bill narrowly defeated in upper house
The New South Wales Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) Bill 2017, introduced by Nationals MP Trevor Khan, was defeated last night in the NSW upper house by a single vote.
The NSW Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill was defeated by a vote of 20 to 19.
The debate that preceded the vote was long and emotive, with those in favour emphasising the ending of suffering and an individual’s right to choose the manner of their death, and those against concerned about the impact on the value of life and potential abuse of VAD legislation. After a full day of argument, the vote was cast just after 11.00 pm, with 20 votes against and 19 in favour.
While Kahn was disappointed by the result, he has vowed to continue fighting for the legislation, with another draft bill to be re-introduced before the next state election in 2019.
Meanwhile, a marathon debate that began in Victoria yesterday over the third reading of the state’s proposed VAD bill lasted for more than 24 hours. However, it was suspended this morning at 10.30 am after Labor MP Daniel Mulino fell ill and had to be taken away in an ambulance.
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