Camden Head resident Janet Cohen says she's bitterly disappointed after a final decision on whether to legalise voluntary assisted dying in NSW won't be made until 2022.
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On Tuesday, October 19 Mark Banasiak, an MP from the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party, referred the legislation to a NSW Upper House committee.
The committee will finalise a report on the bill in February, 2022, if it passes the lower house.
"Our politicians are playing political games while terminally ill people in NSW are suffering," Ms Cohen said.
"This development shows a callous disregard for the terminally ill and their families.
"Every delay means that more people will suffer terrible deaths."
Ms Cohen was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2015 and has been rallying ever since to gain the freedom to choose how her life ends.
The Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill was tabled in the NSW Parliament on Thursday, October 14 and made history as being co-sponsored by the highest number of Members on a Bill in any Australian parliament.
Twenty eight Members of Parliament co-sponsored the Bill, including Member for Port Macquarie, Leslie Williams.
Ms Cohen believes the vote to pass the Bill as law could still be very close, despite the strong support from MPs.
"It's never certain until the vote is done," she said.
Ms Cohen said NSW lawmakers have been dragging the chain when it comes to legalising voluntary assisted dying.
Last time the bill was raised in 2017, it failed to get through the Upper House by just one vote.
"There is a wave of support around Australia for voluntary assisted dying. This is what the community wants clearly and I urge NSW MPs to listen to the people in their electorate," Ms Cohen said.
Ms Cohen is determined to access an assisted death overseas if her health deteriorates and her quality of life significantly declines.
She has been approved for an assisted death in Basel, Switzerland if NSW does not make the act legal in time for her to access it at home.
If the Bill does become law it will take another 18 months for it to be enacted, according to Independent MP Alex Greenwich who is spearheading the push.
"I'd love to keep living but I don't think the chances of that are incredibly high," Ms Cohen said.
"If the Bill does become law by 2023 that might give me enough time but who knows?"
"I do hope to access it in NSW."
Mrs Williams said she couldn't comment on the possible time frame it would take for the Bill to be debated and then voted on.
"There is only a very specific time for the debate to happen," Mrs Williams said.
"In saying that we are having additional sitting days in November to make up for some of the days we've lost due to the coronavirus pandemic."
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Mrs Williams said the vote would be a conscience vote which meant MPs didn't have to follow the party line when making their decision.
More than 2180 people have responded to a survey Mrs Williams shared last week, with more than 91 per cent of respondents supporting the Bill.
"It's (the Bill) certainly overwhelmingly supported in my electorate," she said.
Premier Dominic Perrottet and Opposition Leader Chris Minns have said they won't vote to in favour of the Bill.
"I certainly understand for many people their faith will play a significant role in the decision they make in relation to this Bill," Mrs Williams said.
Mrs Williams reflected on the last time there was a significant conscience vote for the Reproductive Health Care Reform Bill.
"There was strong views on both sides on the chamber but the debate was very respectful," she said.
Shayne Higson, vice president of Dying with Dignity NSW said she had "mixed feelings" when questioned about whether she was feeling confident the Bill would become law.
"One would think it would be inevitable because every other state has passed this law, as well as New Zealand and a number of jurisdictions overseas since 2017," Ms Higson said.
"Unfortunately in NSW the numbers are still incredibly tight and there are still MPs, who despite know their majority of their electorate support these laws based on polling, they are still planning on opposing the laws."
"It's going to be a nerve-wracking and challenging few weeks."
Ms Higson said it's important community members rally to urge their local MPs to publicly support the Bill, if they have not already.