Emotional debate around Tasmania's voluntary assisted dying legislation is continuing in the House of Assembly today.
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Tasmania is expected next year to be the third Australian state to pass VAD legislation.
At the adjournment of second reading speeches on Thursday night, 14 members had spoke to the bill, of which three had expressed opposition.
Related VAD news:
Update 12pm, December 4:
Of the 23 members who have so far spoken to the bill, six have expressed their opposition.
This includes Liberal MPs Michael Ferguson and Jacquie Petrusma, who on Friday raised concerns that VAD would increase incidents of elder abuse.
Mr Ferguson said VAD would not be a good thing for the people of Tasmania.
"Despite what it attempts to offer, it is bad law for our older people, it is bad law for our young people and this bill is an affront to our attempts to prevent suicide in Tasmania," he said.
Declaring himself as a Christian, although not "a very good one", Mr Ferguson said he found it interesting that faith and religion had been repeatedly brought into the debate.
"My own position has rarely, if ever, been expressed in terms of my Christian faith," he said.
"I haven't needed to argue my ell articulated view on this matter, from a faith argument or by using religious argument.
"But it's interesting that this occasionally is said."
Mr Ferguson said it was wrong that Mike Gaffney, who introduced the bill, had publicly stated that religious groups should not be able to influence policy making in Australia.
"Why has Mr Gaffney singled out the Christian church in Australia and yet so much has been made by Mr Gaffney and others in support of this bill, by bringing in groups who call themselves, for example - Christians in support of VAD - and other select individuals who have been brought into this debate ... who are public Christian and have differing opinion to myself."
Mr Ferguson said any group should be able to influence policy making in Australia.
The lower house has also today heard from Labor MP Jen Butler, who said she was honoured to support a bill which "will provide so much facility to deal with the torment faced by so many".
Update 11am, December 4:
The lower house has so far today heard from six members: Liberal MPs Roger Jaensch, Mark Shelton, Felix Ellis, and Labor MPs Alison Standen, Jennifer Houston and Anita Dow.
Mr Jaensch, Ms Standen, Ms Houston and Ms Dow have put forward their support for the bill, while Mr Ellis voted against, saying he feared the Tasmanian Parliament was about the make a "grave mistake".
Mr Shelton said he supported freedom of choice, but reserved the right to vote against voluntary assisted dying on the third reading.
"I find myself not having, from a principle point of view all my life, I went with the right to choose," he said.
"However, as a legislator what I need to be conscious of and make sure of is that from a community point of view, whatever I am voting is actually the right thing for the community.
"From a legislator point of view, I want to make sure that there aren't any unforeseen circumstances."
Mr Shelton said he was concerned about the unintended consequences for younger Tasmanians, in particular youth suicide.
"I worry about what it means. This is a fundamental shift in the thought processes of how society looks at death and where we go in the future," he said.
"Will it mean a big change, or will society just accept it.
"I worry about our youth suicide rate and that's way too high at the moment."
An emotional Ms Dow, who previously worked as a palliative care nurse, said it was a bill for terminally ill Tasmanians, about choice and about human rights.
She said VAD would not result in decreased funding for palliative care.
"Palliative care and voluntary assisted dying are not mutually exclusive and it would be wrong to suggest otherwise," she said.
"I became a palliative care nurse to help others in one of the most vulnerable and difficult times of their lives.
"It was the most rewarding work I have ever done ..."
Ms Dow said the VAD debate had encouraged the community to express their views, and had started a much needed conversation around death and choice.