Final WA euthanasia push as voluntary assisted dying bill sparks two all-night parliament sessions – ABC News

Updated December 04, 2019 09:58:40

Western Australia's bid to become the second Australian state to legalise voluntary euthanasia has hit its most crucial juncture, with MPs facing two all-night sittings this week in a bid to get to a final vote on the contentious legislation.

Upper House MPs have been warned to expect to sit from lunchtime today until well into Thursday as the McGowan Government makes a last-ditch bid to reach a vote on the voluntary assisted dying (VAD) bill before the Christmas recess.

There are plans for another all-night sitting on Friday, with a week of marathon sessions set to add significantly to the more than 150 hours State Parliament has spent on the bill so far.

The Government has been frustrated by the extremely slow pace of debate in Parliament so far, blaming Liberal MP and staunch opponent of the bill Nick Goiran for what they have labelled needless filibustering.

When the bill does get to a final vote it is expected to pass, having been overwhelmingly backed in the Lower House and then passing the first stage of debate in the Legislative Council 25-11.

That means eight Upper House MPs who previously voted for the legislation would have to change their mind for it to be blocked.

But the pace of debate during line-by-line consideration has become a serious concern for the Government, with it already having taken 60 hours to get through the first 60 clauses of the bill, with another 124 to go.

Premier Mark McGowan has pleaded with the Upper House to get to a final vote by the end of the week.

"This has been a long road and hopefully the light is at the end of the tunnel," he said.

"I urge the Upper House to deal with the issue this week and respect the wishes of the people of Western Australia."

The proposed WA voluntary euthanasia scheme would allow terminally ill West Australian adults who are likely to die within six months to legally access a lethal drug to end their life.

The bill has been significantly amended in the Upper House, something the Government had previously fought against, but Mr McGowan downplayed concerns about changes to the legislation.

"I didn't personally think they [the changes] were necessary but I think they are reasonable to get the bill through," he said.

If the Upper House passes the bill this week, the Lower House would need to be recalled next week to agree to any amendments.

It would then be around 18 months before patients would be able to access the scheme.

Topics:state-parliament,states-and-territories,health-policy,euthanasia,government-and-politics,perth-6000,wa

First posted December 04, 2019 08:47:37

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Final WA euthanasia push as voluntary assisted dying bill sparks two all-night parliament sessions - ABC News