Dying With Dignity Victoria held a ‘drop in day’ in support of the Government’s proposed amendments to the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act in the South Library at Parliament House. Picture : Penny Stephens. Thursday September 11th 2025
by Humanists Victoria President, Dr Heidi Nicholl
On 11 September, Lea — one of our new Humanist Companion recruits — and I were honoured to attend the launch of Voices for VAD Reform, hosted by Dying with Dignity Victoria and the Hon. Mary-Anne Thomas MP, Minister for Health and Minister for Ambulance Services, at Victoria’s Parliament House. The event included a panel discussion chaired by Dr Cameron McLaren, Medical Oncologist, with Ms Emma Vulin MP, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last year, along with several individuals who bravely shared powerful personal testimonies.
The campaign calls for reforms to Victoria’s Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) laws to ensure all eligible Victorians have timely, compassionate, and equitable access to this end-of-life choice. In 2019, Victoria was proud to lead the nation with its pioneering VAD laws, but barriers such as outdated criteria, unnecessary delays, and inequitable access now leave too many people suffering. The Victorian Government has committed to implementing five recommendations from its five-year review of the VAD Act, but Dying With Dignity Victoria is urging further legislative reforms to strengthen access, equity, and sustainability.
Lea and I found the personal testimonies particularly moving. Several themes came through clearly — the stark disparity between metropolitan and regional access, and the harsh consequences for people whose suffering does not fit neatly within the current criteria. One person spoke of her loved one, a stroke survivor, who, despite living with intolerable suffering and enduring the burden of heavy medication, was deemed ineligible. He ultimately chose to refuse all food and water — a painful and avoidable end. Another testimony came from a mother whose daughter, living with a rare and aggressive form of cancer, and approved for self-administered VAD, suddenly lost the ability to swallow. Despite her decline, she faced significant delays incurred by the need to reapply for physician-administered VAD, the requirement to reapply caused her, and her family, to endure unnecessary pain and stress in her final days.
We were deeply impressed by the event and stand in full support of Dying With Dignity Victoria’s call for reform. Both I personally, and Humanists Victoria, believe that VAD is a fundamental right and an integral part of compassionate healthcare.