Wednesday, 18 June 2025

 Sonja TERPSTRA (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (17:14): I rise to speak on the Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board annual report for the 2023–24 financial year. This is the third annual report from the independent board responsible for monitoring the operation of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017, the legislation that made Victoria the first jurisdiction in Australia to legalise voluntary assisted dying. Since the law came into effect in 2019 it has offered terminally ill Victorians a compassionate and dignified end-of-life choice grounded in autonomy and humanity. The Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board annual report demonstrates that voluntary assisted dying (VAD) continues to operate safely and effectively. Over the past year there has been a 22 per cent increase in self-administered permits and a 35 per cent increase in practitioner administration permits, and voluntary assisted dying accounted for 0.84 per cent of all deaths in Victoria. Despite this growth, our rates remain among the lowest in the country, in part because practitioner administration is currently limited to those physically unable to self-administer.

Importantly, the program is being accessed alongside palliative care and is widely supported by the Victorian community, findings echoed in the independent five-year review of the act tabled by the Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas, in February. The Allan Labor government has accepted all recommendations from that independent review and will now pursue further reforms to make voluntary assisted dying more accessible, equitable and sustainable. These include legislative changes to allow health practitioners to initiate discussions about voluntary assisted dying, something that is currently not allowed, but it is recognising that the current restrictions limit informed decision-making and hinder honest conversations about end-of-life care. The review also recommends requiring health practitioners with a conscientious objection to at least provide minimum information to patients. The current lack of obligation contributes to confusion, distress and obstruction, particularly in rural or aged care settings. The Labor government has committed to consulting with stakeholders on these changes to ensure that they reflect the principles of person-centred care.

Other proposed reforms include reducing administrative burdens on applicants with neurodegenerative conditions, including the removal of a third assessment, which will ease the process for people who are often housebound or bedbound and reduce pressure on the small cohort of trained practitioners. This leads me to a key finding of the VAD review board annual report. Just 161 practitioners participated in voluntary assisted dying cases last year, and only 10 managed more than half of all those cases. Just three of them were in rural or regional Victoria. This highlights the urgent need for expanded training and support to ensure statewide access and the sustainability of the program over the long term. The report also draws attention to delays in access, with 180 applicants dying before their permits were issued. This really is a tragedy. These numbers are not just statistics, they are moments lost to unnecessary suffering.

As legislators we must respond with urgency and compassion. Whilst the board itself does not deliver services, government-funded infrastructure remains essential. The statewide care navigator service and the statewide pharmacy service, both of which saw increased demand this year, continue to support patients and families at an extraordinarily vulnerable time with professionalism, dignity and empathy. The board’s compliance and oversight work remains rigorous, with 68 safeguards in place. In 2023–24 just 10 cases were found to be noncompliant, primarily due to administrative oversights and not safety breaches. The enhanced voluntary assisted dying portal and regular auditing processes are key examples of how we continue to refine the system to meet community needs.

Finally, the review, alongside the board, urges the Victorian government to continue advocating to the Commonwealth for reform to telehealth restrictions that currently prohibit doctors from conducting VAD consultations online. These laws place unnecessary and often cruel burdens on people in remote areas or with limited mobility.

Since 2019, 1282 Victorians have accessed voluntary assisted dying under our laws, and behind each number is a story, a person, a family, a decision made with courage and clarity. In speaking to this report I commend the Allan Labor government for its commitment to implementing recommendations of both the review board and the independent review. I also urge colleagues across this chamber to approach any coming legislative reforms with compassion, pragmatism and unwavering commitment to dignity at the end of life. I commend the report to the house.