Assisted suicide will remain illegal in New South Wales unless mainstream voters vote for the Liberal Democrats, David Leyonhjelm has warned.
"The Liberal Democrats are long-standing supporters of legalising assisted suicide. Individuals should be free to make their own voluntary, independent and informed decisions about their own life and death," Mr Leyonhjelm said.
"I pushed the issue of assisted suicide to a vote in the federal parliament, with my bill only defeated 32 votes to 34, and I commit to doing so in the NSW parliament if elected."
"In the previous NSW parliament the upper house vote to legalise assisted suicide was lost 19 to 20. So the vote of every MP matters."
"A vote for Labor or the Liberals is likely to be a vote to keep assisted suicide illegal. In 2017, half of Labor's MPs and most of the Liberal MPs voted against legalising assisted suicide."
"A vote for One Nation is also probably a vote to keep assisted suicide illegal, because Mark Latham - who supported legalisation when in Labor - is now 're-thinking' his position."
"And a vote for the Christian Democrats or Shooters is definitely a vote for the status quo."
"Although the Greens are in favour, their MPs failed to legalise assisted suicide in the past and their numbers are set to decline in the next parliament. In addition, they struggle to win the support of the other parties."
"What is required is non-Green MPs who support legalising assisted suicide."
"The law against assisted suicide is the cruelty of busy-bodies. Those who oppose assisted suicide are free not to access that option, but what right do you have to stop other people from making a different choice?"
Victoria has legalised assisted suicide for Victorian residents from July 2019.
