All states and the ACT have now passed a Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) law. Voluntary assisted dying is an end of life choice in every state of Australia. The Territory Rights Bill passed the Federal Parliament in December 2022 which allowed the NT and ACT Parliaments to debate VAD. The ACT VAD Act will commence on November 3, 2025. The NT government commissioned an inquiry which is due to report in July 2024.
Voluntary Assisted Dying commenced in South Australia on January 31, 2023. The Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) Act was passed by both chambers of the South Australian Parliament on June 24, 2021. Following last minute amendments in relation to institutional conscientious objection in the Legislative Council the previous evening, the House of Assembly agreed to the amendment at 11.05am the following morning. There was no debate and no Division called. After 17 attempts since 1993, Voluntary Assisted Dying was finally passed by the South Australian Parliament. Debate on the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill had resumed on March 17, 2021. Hon Kyam Maher, MLC and (then) Shadow Attorney General, tabled the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill in the Legislative Council on Wednesday, December 2, 2020. Hon Susan Close, MP, tabled the same VAD Bill in the House of Assembly on the same day. The VAD Bill was jointly sponsored by Hon Mark Parnell, MLC. The tabling of the VAD Bill followed the 18 month deliberations of the Joint Committee on End of Life Choices which reported to the Parliament in October 2020. (Further details, facebook links to Second Reading speeches and Hansard available here) (Jan 2023)
New South Wales became the 6th and last state to pass VAD legislation on May 19, 2022. VAD commenced in November 2023. The VAD Bill passed the upper house at midday, May 19, 2022, with a vote of 23 for, and 15 against. A couple of hours later, the lower house agreed to the upper house amendments and the VAD Bill was finally through. The VAD Bill had previously been passed by the lower house on November 26, 2021, with an overwhelming majority, 52 to 32. Independent MP Alex Greenwich introduced the VAD Bill and took major responsibility negotiating it through the Parliament. Labor MLC Adam Searle supported passage of the legislation through the debate in the upper house. (July 2022)
VAD commenced in Tasmania on October 23, 2022. The Tasmanian Parliament passed the End of Life Choices (Voluntary Assisted Dying) Act in March 2021. This was the fourth attempt to pass a VAD law in Tasmania. The Bill passed the Legislative Council unanimously on December 4, 2020, and through the House of Assembly with a 16 to 6 majority on March 4, 2021. HOA amendments were later agreed by the upper house. The Bill was introduced by Tasmanian Independent MLC Mike Gaffney on August 27, 2020, after eight months of consultation around the state. The last Bill to legalise voluntary assisted dying in the Tasmanian Parliament was defeated in May 2016 - the third Bill defeated by the Tasmanian Parliament in the last 10 years. (Oct 2022)
The Victorian Parliament passed the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill in November 2017.
Over the following 18 months, Regulations, policies, operating guidelines and training were developed and the Act came into effect on June 19, 2019. Reports, details of the operation of the VAD Review Board, further information, available here. (Mar 2021)
The ACT Parliament passed their VAD Act on June 5, 2024.
Voluntary assisted dying will become a legal end of life choice for Canberrans on November 3, 2025.
The ACT legislation contains a major difference with state legislation with the absence of a requirement for a six or 12 month prognosis. Instead, doctors will confirm that the disease, illness or medical condition is 'advanced'.
The ACT legislation followed the passage of federal legislation to restore Territory rights and allow the ACT to debate Voluntary Assisted Dying. (July 2024)
WA became the second state in Australia to deliver a legal choice of Voluntary Assisted Dying. The Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill passed the House of Assembly on Dec 10, 2019, and came into effect on July 1 2021. The WA Parliament conducted a year long Parliamentary Inquiry, followed by an Expert Panel which advised on the detail of the legislation. The Panel included Dr Roger Hunt, SA Palliative Care Physician, who was also a member of the Victorian Government's Expert Panel. The WA Parliament released the report of the Inquiry into End of Life Choices in August 2018. The Inquiry Report recommended the introduction of voluntary assisted dying in WA. (report available here.) (Aug 2021)
Legislation to restore Territory rights and allow the Northern Territory to debate Voluntary Assisted Dying was passed by the Federal Parliament in December 2022. The NT government established an inquiry into VAD which is due to report in July 2024. (Dec 2022)
