WITH state governments in Victoria and NSW soon to debate assisted dying, a new nationwide poll has found that 73 per cent of Australians support voluntary assisted dying.
The poll asked: "If someone with a terminal illness who is experiencing unrelievable suffering asks to die, should a doctor be allowed to assist them to die?".
Based on more than 1000 responses, the poll showed strong public support among people from all political persuasions, including Liberal voters (70 per cent), Labor voters (78 per cent) and Greens voters (80 per cent).
Only 15 per cent of those polled disagreed with the proposition, while a further 12 per cent were undecided.
Support for assisted dying was particularly strong among respondents aged 55 and over, with 81 per cent saying they believed doctors should be able to assist, and just 10 per cent disagreeing.
The poll was conducted by Essential Research.
In NSW, the draft Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2017 is an initiative of the cross-party working group of Nationals MLC Trevor Khan, Liberal MP Lee Evans, Labor MLC Lynda Voltz, Greens MLC Mehreen Faruqi and independent MP Alex Greenwich.
Under the draft bill, patients would need to be aged at least 25, expected to die within 12 months and have to be suffering "extreme pain, suffering or physical incapacity".
Patients would retain the right to rescind their request at any time and medical practitioners would have the right to either provide or refuse assistance.
Requests would have to be signed off by two practitioners, including one specialist, and the patient required to undergo assessment by an independent psychiatrist or psychologist.
See the NSW Government's draft Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill HERE.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews describes his government's assisted dying legislation as "the safest scheme in the world".
He said the government would incorporate all 66 recommendations of the Ministerial Advisory Panel, chaired by neurosurgeon and former Australian Medical Association president Dr Brian Owler.
Mr Andrews said there would be 68 safeguards to protect vulnerable people from exploitation and coercion.
See the Ministerial Advisory Panel on Voluntary Assisted Dying Final Report HERE.