Victoria to vote on assisted dying

THE PLAN

- A ministerial advisory panel of legal, clinical, health, palliative and consumer experts will help draft the bill

- A discussion paper to be released in early 2017

- Legislation to be introduced into parliament in the second half of 2017

- If passed, the earliest it will be in place is 2019.

THE FEARS

- Families don't want to watch loved ones suffer painful, drawn out, inevitable deaths

- Vulnerable people fear they will be pushed to kill themselves or it will be done when they can't say no.

THE SAFEGUARDS

- Accessible only to adults who have the capacity to make the decision and are in the final stages of a terminal illness

- Patients must be assessed by two doctors

- Doctors will be able to decline assisting a patient die.

THE VOTE

- All Labor and coalition MPs will get a conscience vote

- The Greens policy is to vote for assisted dying legislation.