Assisted dying reform passes Victorian lower house

They thanked former health minister Jill Hennessy, who backed historic reform through parliament in 2017.

“Even if you disagree with the bill itself, we’d all like to think we can have a real impact on public life,” Labor MP Mathew Hilakari told parliament late on Tuesday. he said. “This is a real tribute to him – the impact he had on public life.”

They mostly thanked Pakenham Labor member Emma Vulin, who has motor neurone disease, who was reduced to tears with her contribution via text-to-speech technology on Tuesday.

“One day I may choose voluntary assisted death,” he told Parliament. “This isn’t about giving up; it’s about retaining responsibility for the most personal decision a person can make: how they leave this world.

“I don’t know how my journey with MND will turn out, but I do know this: The knowledge that optional assisted dying may be an option gives me strength. It allows me to live more peacefully, focus on the moments that matter, and spare my loved ones from witnessing my prolonged suffering that serves no purpose.”

It was nearly 8.30pm on Wednesday when they voted to support the bill, 67 to 13, with applause.

Vulin and Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas took turns hugging many of their colleagues from each side of the room.

At least a dozen Coalition MPs ultimately supported the government bill to expand access, while five Labor MPs took to the floor to vote against it.

Many Coalition MPs have told how their views changed after voting against legalizing assisted dying eight years ago.

Opposition leader Brad Battin, who voted against reform in 2017, has since seen his best friend’s wife die of cancer. He separately watched as his best man’s father chose assisted dying following a pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

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Battin told parliament on Tuesday: “I agree with the Prime Minister. Because this is about people, not about politics.” “Overall, my attitude towards the facts of what I did and what I saw changed.”

Around 3500 Victorians have engaged in the process since it became accessible, with 1683 using assisted dyeing.

Free voting meant making a number of changes.

Greenvale MP Iwan Walters, from Labour’s Catholic-influenced SDA union sub-group, moved to block the bill until the unintended consequences have been further considered and further consultation has been held.

Walters’ concerns included that a proposed requirement to provide minimum information erodes the right of health practitioners to conscientiously object. Walters also argued that the proposal would theoretically allow any healthcare practitioner “such as podiatrists and optometrists” to raise the issue of voluntary assisted dying with their patients. (The clause states that this must occur during a discussion about end-of-life care and that abuses would constitute unprofessional conduct.)

Walters described the changes as a “slippery slope” after reassuring him how tough the guardrails were to change the law in 2017. “Here we are, just a few years later, in the lifetime of the same government; those guardrails are now barriers and those basic protections have become seemingly unwarranted barriers to Victorians being able to be euthanised by a health practitioner or accessing self-administered assisted suicide.”

His contribution provoked a harsh reaction from Vulin.

“On an order, Mr. Deputy Speaker, I apologize for interrupting, but I would like the member who is standing to stop referring to this as ‘assisted suicide,'” Vulin said.

Nationals MP Jade Benham made clear that voluntary assisted dying and suicide are not the same in her personal story of her struggles late on Tuesday evening.

“Voluntary assisted death is not suicide. I’ve been there twice,” Benham told the room.

“[VAD] It is something that requires a large amount of rational thinking, evaluation, and conversation with loved ones. I can tell you that none of these exist when you are on the verge of suicide. You’re not in the right mind. You don’t have rational thinking. You’re not in the mood to talk to anyone.”

Under the Commonwealth Criminal Code, it is illegal to encourage suicide through a transport service and to prevent voluntary assisted dying appointments via telehealth.

Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas is advocating for the Commonwealth to allow telehealth for assisted dying.

Benham and his Nationals colleague Annabelle Cleeland have cited this as a hurdle for people in the areas, as has former Labor MP and cross-rater Will Fowles, who has been vociferously pressing for change.

The bill will move to the upper house, where Labor cannot secure a majority. Few Liberals and Nationals are expected to support it in this chamber, where only opposition health spokesman Georgie Crozier has publicly confirmed she expects to vote in favour.

The bill could fall to just one or two votes in the upper house.

Deputy national leader Emma Kealy was the keynote speaker on Tuesday. He thanked the government for the comprehensive information distributed to all members of Parliament.

“In some ways, I would like to see this included in every piece of legislation. It could create a more harmonious environment and perhaps make the passage of legislation through both chambers more efficient.”

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