Prognostic time frame added to Tasmania's voluntary assisted dying legislation

Legislative Council members on Tuesday began to analyse each clause of the 122-page bill by Mersey independent MLC Mike Gaffney and brought to the debate their own amendments.

Murchison independent Ruth Forrest brought on an amendment which would require a person who wanted to access the voluntary assisted dying process to have a prognosis of an expected death within six months or 12 months for a neurodegenerative conditions.

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This condition is in line with voluntary assisted dying legislation in Western Australia and Victoria.

Mr Gaffney objected to the change and said the particular safeguard did not provide protection to a patient who was suffering intolerably.

Huon Labor MLC Bastian Seidel said the same prognostic time frame was already in the bill for patients who wished to self-administer drugs to facilitate voluntary assisted dying.

He said he did not believe the prognostic time frame to access the process itself would create a barrier for patients.

"This bill is about people dying, not necessarily suffering," Dr Seidel said.

"Suffering is not a good enough par to qualify."

Rosevears Liberal MLC Jo Palmer said the bill was ultimately about the end of life.

"How can we not have a prognosis of end of life?" she said.

Ms Palmer said the prognosis time frame would make clear that the legislation could not be exploited for nefarious reasons.

Mr Gaffney attempted to move an amendment for a prognosis of an expected death within two years for a patient though this failed to get support from a majority of Legislative Council members.

An amendment to the bill from Labor for the establishment of a five-member commission of people with medical and legal to oversee the legislation was supported.

Debate on the bill will resume on October 27.

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