Tasmania's House of Assembly to resume debate on voluntary assisted dying legislation

At the adjournment of second reading speeches in the House of Assembly on Thursday night, 14 members had spoke to the bill, of which three had expressed opposition.

Those opposed were Liberal members Guy Barnett and Elise Archer and independent member Madeleine Ogilvie.

Contributions to the bill began in the lower house in the morning with Premier Peter Gutwein early on indicating his support for the bill.

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A vote in favour of the bill, developed by Mersey independent MLC Mike Gaffney, from Mr Gutwein would make him the first Liberal premier in the country to support such legislation.

Bass Liberal MHA Sarah Courtney had carriage of the legislation.

She said the legislation was about empowering a person at a time of grave need.

"It is about being compassionate and providing the best professional support and advice," Ms Courtney said.

Premier Peter Gutwein during second reading speeches said while he would be voting in support of the bill, he acknowledged the work of those employed in the palliative care sector.

He detailed his own experiences of loss - the death of his father to aggressive pancreatic cancer in 2011 and his sister to ovarian cancer the following year.

"In my experience, with my sister and my father, I found the process of palliative care better than I could ever imagined it could be," he said.

"[The palliative care workers] supported us as a family with compassion.

"They provided us all with a dignified and caring ending that I know my father and sister wanted."

Opposition Leader Rebecca White was reduced to tears when relaying a personal story about a loved one who died following a battle with terminal cancer.

She told the house of her close friendship with the man, Tim, who she'd known since childhood.

Ms White said Tim eventually moved interstate for work, got married and had two sons.

Eventually, though, he was diagnosed with stomach cancer.

"Tim was brave and he fought like hell," she said, through tears.

"He had everything to live for."

In February last year, his condition deteriorated, Ms White said.

She said she received a message from Tim's brother Jason around this time, who asked her what her opinion was on voluntary assisted dying, to which she replied that she supported it.

Greens leader Cassy O'Connor, who has supported previous attempts to introduce voluntary assisted dying legislation, talked about being at her mother Colleen's bedside when she died last year.

She said the bill was safe, much needed and long overdue.

"This is strong, compassionate legislation with multiple layers of safeguards to protect the vulnerable while acknowledging extreme, unrelievable suffering also makes the sufferer extremely vulnerable," Ms O'Connor said.

Deputy Labor leader Michelle O'Byrne also supported the bill and said it was not a bill for suicide, but acted to prevent suicide.

Ms Archer was the first member to oppose the bill during second reading speeches.

She said she she could not separate her personal views from those as a barrister and solicitor and first law officer of the state.

"The legal, medical and ethical arguments are of great importance to me," Ms Archer said.

"I have issues supporting a bill that has not gone through the usual and exhaustive processes of law reform and thereby remain unconvinced that this bill adequately protects the vulnerable in our community or indeed medical procedures.

Mr Barnett said the bill underminded the dignity that should be ascribed to each and every Tasmanian.

"It is my view the bill is ill-conceived, ambiguous, and is fatally flawed," he said.

"It has a perverse effect of delivering a less caring, a less compassionate, and a less loving society."

Deputy Premier Jeremy Rockliff told Parliament he would support the bill after having voted against three previous voluntary assisted dying bills.

He said the bill had been heavily critiqued in the Legislative Council and an expert panel convened by the University of Tasmania to examine the bill would provide an extra level of scrutiny.

Mr Rockliff said he did not regret the position he had taken on previous voluntary assisted dying bills before Tasmanian Parliament.

"There is nothing wrong with being cautious, equally, there is nothing wrong with a change of heart based on sound evidence and empathy," he said.

Labor Braddon MHA Shane Broad voted against the 2017 voluntary assisted dying bill but said he would support the new bill.