Terminally ill people in NSW could be one step closer to seeing a voluntary assisted dying bill become law.
A NSW parliamentary committee cleared the controversial bill on Tuesday for debate in the Upper House after a short inquiry before Christmas.
If the bill passes, NSW will be the last Australian state to allow voluntary assisted dying which would give terminally ill residents the right to end their own lives if they are expected to die within the next 12 months.
The bill faces its final hurdle, a debate in the Upper House, in late March, after it was tabled there on Tuesday.
Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich, who has spearheaded the bill, hoped the bill would have majority support in the Upper House.
"And I hope that the mandate the legislative assembly provided [in November] to pass the bill does occur," he said.
The report of the standing committee on law and justice was tabled on Tuesday but the inquiry elected not to take a position on the bill.
"It is clear that this is an issue with strong and passionate opinions, which are felt deeply by both sides of the debate," committee chair Wes Fang said.
"Further, it is also clear there is no consensus amongst stakeholders as to the merits of the bill."
Two Liberal MPs and one Labor MP dissented, saying the proposal was unsafe and shouldn't be debated.
Of the 39,000 responses to the inquiry's online questionnaire, approximately 70 per cent supported the bill and 30 per cent were opposed.
Dying with Dignity NSW is calling on the Legislative Council to treat the reform as a matter of urgency and ensure there is enough time to debate the bill in March.
Labor MLC, Adam Searle who has carriage of the bill in the Upper House introduced it straight after the report was tabled and will deliver his Second Reading speech on Wednesday.
"This is an extremely important issue, one that is long overdue for being addressed in NSW," he said.
"There is needless suffering which cannot be alleviated by palliative or other medical treatment now being experienced by those with terminal illnesses.
"It is time to act compassionately and pass this law."
