SYDNEY, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- A bid to legalize euthanasia in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) has been defeated by one vote in the upper house of the state's parliament.
The bill, proposed by Nationals Member of Parliament (MP) Trevor Khan, was defeated by 20 votes to 19 after a marathon debate which lasted until nearly midnight on Thursday.
MPs were given the right to vote with their conscience on the legislation rather than following their respective party's view on the issue.
If passed, the proposal would have given terminally ill patients over the age of 25 with fewer than 12 months to live the right to end their own lives with the assistance of a doctor.
Safeguards in the bill included a requirement that two doctors be consulted as well as a psychiatrist or psychologist before a decision could be made.
Though "disappointed" by the result, Khan said it would not stop him from campaigning for medically-assisted dying in NSW.
"We had what I think is a reasonable expectation that we'd just get over the line (but) obviously we fell short by one," he told reporters on Thursday night.
He said on Friday he would reintroduce the bill after the 2019 state election.
"We've established a solid foundation to go again," Khan said.
"I think all we need to do is keep pressing forward and we'll get there in the end."
The debate of the bill prompted emotional responses from MPs on both sides of the Legislative Council.
Bronnie Taylor, a nationals colleague of Khan and former palliative care nurse, said that the bill would reduce the suffering of terminally ill patients and their families.
"Why do we not give them the option to end their lives in a time of their choosing?" she said.
NSW would have been the first Australian state to legalize euthanasia with similar legislation currently being debated in Victoria.
