25 March 2021
Tasmania is set to become the third Australian state to legalise voluntary assisted dying after legislation passed its upper house this week. The new laws are expected to become into force in 18 months.
The bill allows people who are suffering from advanced, incurable and irreversible conditions to end their lives in situations where they would be expected to die within six months.
Similar laws already exist in Western Australia and Victoria and a Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) Bill is also before South Australia’s Parliament, with the ANMF (SA Branch) having publicly expressed its strong support.
A recent survey in SA found only a tiny 9 per cent of the population believe voluntary assisted dying should remain illegal, with 80 per cent in favour of legalising VAD and 11 per cent undecided.
Go Gentle Australia, an organisation co-founded by former TV star and VAD advocate Andrew Denton, celebrated the Tasmanian milestone as "a tipping point".
"The exemplary, evidence-based and respectful debate ... is a tipping point. Every win brings us closer to compassionate end-of-life choice for all Australians," they tweeted.