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News by Jessica Marszalek
Premium Content  Labor members have urged all government MPs to support Voluntary Assisted Dying laws despite an impassioned plea from one politician, who became the first Labor MP to publicly express reservations over the Bill. Labor MP Linus Power asked members not to put pressure on MPs as he questioned the reasons some might access proposed laws in Queensland and suggested there would be serious unintended consequences for the terminally-ill. But the motion - which called for their support during the September parliament vote and for the government to invest in more palliative care - overwhelmingly passed at state conference on Sunday after a lively and emotional debate.
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Subscriber only Voluntary assisted dying will only be offered to adults in Queensland who are expected to die within 12 months from a condition they consider intolerable. And it will not be available to someone only because they have a disability or mental illness. The historic reforms were officially introduced in Queensland Parliament today, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk saying the matter had not been rushed but considered extensively. But there is uncertainty around how the scheme will be available to people in regional, rural and remote areas because of the Commonwealth s Criminal Code. Currently under the Code, it is illegal to use a phone, videoconference, email or other electronic communication to publish or distribute material that counsels or incites committing or attempting to commit suicide.