Victorian Labor MPs are preparing to move amendments to their party’s proposed assisted dying reforms, as parliamentarians brace for fiery debate to stretch into the early hours this week. Source: The Age.
Lower house MPs have been warned they could sit as late as 3am to debate changes to the state’s historic laws that would allow doctors to initiate conversations about voluntary assisted dying and to extend access to patients with 12 months to live.
Labor and the Coalition have granted MPs a conscience vote on the bill, meaning votes will split outside party lines.
Labor-turned-crossbench MP Will Fowles and the Greens will both circulate amendments proposing to take the change further.
Multiple Labor MPs, including those who oppose assisted dying, were considering their own amendments.
In 2017, then-deputy premier James Merlino moved an amendment to block the historic reform. This would be a particular risk to the Government in the upper house, where Labor does not have a majority.
Government sources, unable to speak publicly, were confident they had the numbers despite the conscience vote allowing its vote to splinter.
But Coalition MPs, speaking anonymously to be frank about internal issues, did not expect many of their colleagues to cross the floor to support the Government bill in the upper house.
The bill is expected to pass the lower house easily because of Labor’s significant majority and support from the Greens and some Coalition MPs. But there is less certainty about how votes will fall in the upper house.
MPs whose electorates or regions have significant faith communities have also been under pressure.
In April, religious leaders from Victoria’s Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh communities called on the Allan Government to abandon its changes.
This month, a joint letter from the state’s Catholic bishops urged Victorians to write to their local MPs to oppose the changes.
“Instead of attempting to expand euthanasia and assisted suicide, we urge Members of Parliament to continue expanding access to good palliative care to all Victorians, particularly for those in the regions,” they wrote.
FULL STORY
Debate over assisted dying reforms reopens old Labor wounds (By Rachel Eddie and Kieran Rooney, The Age)
