The much-discussed Voluntary Assisted Dying bill has now passed the lower house, after months of discussion.
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The bill promises an option for terminally ill people to consent to die. The decision could be made after consulting with a number of doctors who agree that the patient has the capacity to make that choice.
Voluntary assisted dying has been lobbied for many years, with NSW the last state to introduce laws allowing it.
Member for Murray Helen Dalton said that while getting the bill approved by the lower house was an important step, there was a long way to go.
"After about 160 amendments, we got it passed on Friday ... so it will now pass the upper house next year. What they've done is referred it to a committee who'll come up with recommendations. They'll amend it according to those, so it'll have to come back to the lower house again," she explained.
She said the bill would likely be actioned next year some time.
Ms Dalton said that she would be looking to other health projects in the Murray and Griffith.
"We'd like to have a lot more funding for health in the area. In the last few weeks, we've been told cancer patients have to wait for up to eight weeks to be seen, and they have to go to Wagga to get this treatment. The government has refused to fund the cancer clinics at Griffith Base Hospital," she said.
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She said the planned radiotherapy units at Griffith Base Hospital needed a little more money to be able to bulk-bill.
"We've got funding from the Federal Government but we need money from the state government that would help us make that bulk-billed. We need $600,000 per year to have it bulk billed."
"That would be cost neutral because if people have to travel to the far reaches, they can apply for funding. It's not a lot, but it's there. It costs more to do that program than it does to put the 600,000 into Griffith."
"I'll never give up on health."
Looking to next year as it fast approaches, Ms Dalton said that she was keen to bring other MP's to Griffith. She added that she was hoping to see Premier Dominic Perrottet visit.
"I've been speaking to the Premier, he's keen to come to Griffith. If the Premier can get out here, I'll be making great use of it and connecting him up with people. I think he's certainly appeared to be genuine in his intentions, so let's make sure he does," she said.
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