A Bill to restore the rights of territories to legislate on the issue of assisted dying was narrowly lost in the Senate last night.
Senator David Leyonhjelm said it was disappointing his Restoring Territory Rights (Assisted Suicide Legislation) Bill 2015 failed to pass but he would continue pushing for the rights of all Australians to decide how and when to end their lives as a key Liberal Democrat policy.
"It was deeply frustrating to hear so many Senators argue against my Bill in the misguided belief my Bill would somehow impact negatively on the provision of first-class palliative care for the terminally ill.
"But this was never an either/or argument. All Australians, no matter where they live, have the right to decide for themselves when it comes to end of life treatment
"I was also dumbfounded that some supporters of legalising voluntary euthanasia voted against the Bill.
"It makes no sense that people living in the state of Victoria now have some control over the manner in which they chose to die in the face of intolerable suffering, yet other Australians are denied even having the chance to vote on such a critical issue."
Thirty four Senators voted in favour of the Bill and 36 voted against.
Senator Leyonhjelm said the vote demonstrated just how out of touch politicians were with their constituents, with recent polling finding almost 80 per cent of Australians supporting voluntary assisted dying in some form or another.
"My message to the Australian people is this: The government may think it can legislate on every aspect of your life. But the government does not own your body.
"Lobby your political representatives and demand answers as to why their personal religious or ethical beliefs continue to condemn many Australians who do not share these beliefs to intolerable suffering and helplessness at the most vulnerable point in their life. ---
