Major reforms to Victoria’s voluntary assisted dying laws – which would allow doctors to openly discuss the end-of-life option with terminally ill patients – have passed Parliament’s lower house. Source: Herald Sun.
After a marathon debate on the changes, which were opposed by five government MPs who crossed the floor to vote against them, the Voluntary Assisted Dying Amendment Bill was passed on Wednesday, 67 votes to 13.
A conscience vote allowed Labor ministers Anthony Carbines and Natalie Suleyman, and backbenchers Iwan Walters, Kathleen Matthews-Ward and Anthony Cianfone to vote against the government bill.
Multiple Coalition MPs including Opposition Leader Brad Battin, David Southwick, Sam Groth, Jade Benham and Emma Kealy also crossed the floor to vote in favour of the changes.
The bill is yet to be debated in the upper house.
Under the proposed changes doctors would be able to openly discuss voluntary assisted dying as part of end-of-life care options.
Other changes include:
- Requiring objecting health practitioners to provide basic information about VAD.
- Extending the eligibility prognosis from six months to 12 months.
- Removing the need for a third prognosis for people with neurodegenerative diseases if their life expectancy is between six and 12 months.
Debate included an angry slapdown by Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas, who chastised her Labor colleague, Mr Walters, for referring to voluntary assisted dying as “assisted suicide”.
Victoria first introduced voluntary assisted dying laws in 2017 following more than 40 hours of debate across parliament’s two houses.
FULL STORY
Victoria’s voluntary assisted dying law reforms passed in lower house (By Shannon Deery, Herald Sun)
RELATED COVERAGE
Voluntary Assisted Dying Amendment Bill 2025 (Victorian Legislation website)
