ALBURY MP Justin Clancy is facing heat to support lawful euthanasia in NSW with a petition calling for political action launched on Sunday.
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Dying with Dignity NSW wants MPs to unite across party lines, with its petition asking "members of the NSW Parliament to work together to pass voluntary assisted dying laws in 2021".
The move follows a private member's bill being rejected in 2017, while in the same year Victoria passed legislation making euthanasia lawful south of the Murray River from June 2019.
Dying with Dignity NSW president Penny Hackett said her state was now the only one not to have assisted dying laws in place or being actively considered.
"Why can a terminally ill person nearing the end of their life in Victoria have the option to die peacefully, at a time and place of their choosing, surrounding by loved ones, but a terminally ill person in NSW is denied that choice and may be forced to experience often prolonged and sometimes extreme end of life suffering?" Ms Hackett asked.
Dying with Dignity NSW southern border regional co-ordinator Sharon Potocnik, of Table Top, said she met Mr Clancy last year to discuss euthanasia.
"He definitely gave a very fence-sitting answer, he didn't give any hint whether he was 'yay' or 'nay'," Mrs Potocnik said.
"He just wanted to know what the community wanted and we want him to know the community wants."
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Mrs Potocnik wants Mr Clancy to be clear how he will consult the community and said her group will bring attention to the issue through activities such as having a stall at Albury's Rotary Sunday market.
Mr Clancy did not respond to The Border Mail on Sunday.
However fellow Border MP, member for Murray Helen Dalton said she personally was supportive of some form of legal euthanasia being adopted in NSW.
"I think it's inevitable we'll have to look at this," Mrs Dalton said.
"People are being kept on and on when all they really want to is die."
The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP said a de facto euthanasia was occurring.
"In palliative care cases, it's almost going on anyway, with pain relief you can increase pain relief to the point where the person passes away," Mrs Dalton said.
"I don't know whether I should be saying that, but that does occur."
Riverina Upper House MP Wes Fang said he did vote for the 2017 bill and remained a euthanasia supporter but he believes it would be wrong for the parliament to consider the issue now.
"It's quite self indulgent to be going down this path, given we've got as many people out of work as we do and all the challenges of the COVID-19 issue," Mr Fang said.
But Ms Hackett noted that Western Australia has passed its euthanasia law and Tasmanian politicians had debated the subject amid COVID-19.
