On Tuesday 10 October 2020 Tasmania's Upper House passed laws to legalise voluntary assisted dying in a final vote that was unanimous. Independent MP Mike Gaffney's End-of-Life Choices (Voluntary Assisted Dying) Bill 2020 was amended during the upper house debate however those amendments led to the...
On Sunday 18 October 2020 Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, used her election campaign launch to announce that a re-elected Labor government would table voluntary assisted dying legislation in February 2021. It was a calculated announcement that elevated the issue of assisted dying law reform at a key...
Preliminary results released on 30 October 2020 showed 65.2% of New Zealand voters supported the End of Life Choice Act coming into force as a new law. The law will allow terminally ill people with less than six months to live the opportunity to choose...
The British Medical Association’s first ever survey of its members’ views on assisted dying has found that doctors are in support of assisted dying and want the BMA to drop its official policy of opposition to a change in the law. Nearly 29,000 members of...
Report from COTA (Council on the Ageing) NSW reveals lack of comprehensive planning for last stage of life A new report released by COTA NSW has revealed that many older people find there is still a taboo around discussing the last stage of life, and struggle...
Just over one year since its implementation, voluntary assisted dying laws are giving Victorians suffering with a terminal illness greater choice over the timing and manner of their death. Minister for Health Jenny Mikakos welcomed the third report of the independent Voluntary Assisted Dying Review...
On Thursday 27 August the End of Life Choices (Voluntary Assisted Dying) Bill 2020 was tabled in the Tasmanian Parliament by Mersey MLC Mike Gaffney. Two days earlier Mr Gaffney had tabled 109 submissions on the proposed legislation most expressing support for his assisted dying legislation. The...
One Nation’s Mark Latham and Reverend Fred Nile have introduced a bill into NSW Parliament to amend the NSW Anti-Discrimination laws to include protections for religious beliefs. In principle, it is appropriate to provide people of faith with protection from discrimination. However, this Bill goes beyond simply...
Our Winter 2020 Newsletter aims to bring everyone up-to-date with the latest developments from across Australia and around the world. We report on the impact of COVID-19 on DWD's community advocacy training and reveal how the current overseas travel restrictions have thrown doubt over the end...
On 19 June 2019, Victoria’s historic voluntary assisted dying laws commenced. Despite our opponents predicting a tsunami of death, the VAD Review Board’s report on the first 6 months of operation showed that the regime is working safely and effectively. On the first anniversary of these...
A long-running parliamentary inquiry into end of life related issues has recommended that a scheme to allow voluntary assisted dying is legislated in Queensland. The recommendation is included in a report that was tabled on Tuesday 31 March 2020 by the parliament’s Health Committee. Committee chair, Mr Aaron Harper MP,...
On Wednesday 19 February the Victorian Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board released a report covering the first six months of the operation of the Victoria’s Voluntary Assisted Dying Act. In the six months from 19 June to 31 December 2019, 136 people commenced the assessment process for VAD through...