In a few weeks, the NSW Parliament will consider making it legal for a person dying of a terminal illness to have the right to choose a peaceful death with compassionate medical assistance.
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There are now 20 overseas jurisdictions - including New Zealand - that have legalised voluntary assisted dying. Repeated inquiries have found that these laws are working safely and effectively.
At home, Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, South Australia and Queensland have all now introduced assisted dying laws.
NSW is the odd one out.
Times have changed, and so have the politics.
In 2013, not one Liberal or National Party MP voted for an assisted dying Bill in NSW.
In 2017, five of the six National MPs and two Liberal MPs in the Upper House voted in favour of a similar law, but it lost by one vote.
Last month, John Barilaro, then leader of the Nationals and Deputy Premier, was asked about the Nationals' position on the current Bill. He said that "most Nationals MPs will support it, with only one member, perhaps, not supporting it."
On previous occasions, most MPs have been reluctant to take a public stand before the Bill has actually been debated. This time it's different.
The current Bill, introduced by Independent Alex Greenwich, is co-sponsored by 28 MPs from the Government, Labor, the Greens and another Independent. This is the highest number of co-sponsors to a Bill in the history of any Australian Parliament.
Not everything has changed.
Substantial majority popular support has existed across NSW for 20 years, regardless of age, gender, political affiliation or religion. Support is stronger in the regions than in the big cities.
Mr Barilaro, in supporting the Bill, has said: "We are in part driven by our members in our electorates where 80 to 85 per cent of our voters are in support."
As on previous occasions, there will be a conscience vote, that is, a vote where members are not bound to follow a Party line.
May I suggest that every MP should, in principle, be totally driven by the wishes of the people he or she was elected to represent? Even MPs whose personal beliefs might prevent them from using an assisted dying law themselves, should not deny the choice to others.
This is because the Bill neither encourages, discourages nor compels anyone to do anything. It simply makes a particular choice legal. It is compassionate, ethical, and the people of NSW deserve it now.
Voters in the Bathurst electorate should call on their MP, Paul Toole, who is now Mr Barilaro's successor, to make a firm commitment in principle to support voluntary assisted dying.
Of course, he should also exercise his judgment on the safeguards in the Bill to ensure that anyone choosing to use the law makes a rational, considered and voluntary choice.
Richard Mills is the former president of Dying with Dignity NSW
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