Terminally-ill Canberrans want voluntary assisted dying laws to be federal election issue
ABCThirty-nine-year-old Sam Whitsed was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer after finding a lump in his neck about six months ago. Mr Whitsed said when he was told by doctors that his cancer was incurable, he thought it was "ridiculous" that voluntary assisted dying would not be available to him when his condition got worse. 'This is not a debate that can wait' ACT Senate candidate David Pocock says, if he is elected, allowing Australia's territories to introduce and legislate voluntary assisted dying will be a top priority for him. "My bill will not be an invitation for the parliament to debate voluntary assisted dying —that conversation should be for the people of the ACT alone. Labor senator Katy Gallagher said that while she welcomed "any attempt to improve territory rights and to address this issue", there was more to the process than just putting a bill to parliament.