
Supporters of voluntary assisted dying laws have planted more than 3000 heart-shaped signs on lawn behind the NSW parliament ahead of debate on the bill in the lower house next month.
Dying With Dignity volunteers planted the hearts, meant to deliver messages from people who support voluntary assisted dying laws but cannot attend in person due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The group's president Penny Hackett said the message to politicians is that "it's time to get this reform done".
"Some of these people are currently terminally ill and themselves will face an extremely agonising death at the end of their life" if reforms are delayed, she said.
Ms Hackett urged the parliament to "listen to the voices of their constituents and not treat this issue as a political football".
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said on Thursday he would not allow filibustering on the bill.
"I've made it very clear that the debate in relation to voluntary assisted dying will not be stymied by speeches in the house. We are allocating a substantial amount of time for that debate to occur this year, in a respectful way," he said.
NSW Treasurer Matt Kean said he's yet to make his mind up on the bill but wanted "appropriate safeguards" in place, saying he would take "the appropriate amount of time" to make sure that was the case.
NSW Opposition Leader Chris Minns said Labor would support parliament sitting two additional Fridays to ensure there was time for debate, and "it shouldn't come down to whether parliamentary shenanigans stop the voluntary assisted dying bill from going ahead or not".
Mr Minns said that while he won't be supporting the bill, there is clear consensus to have it dealt with in 2021 and the bill requires its own day to be debated.
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