An Australian state parliament on Wednesday stepped closer to passing a voluntary euthanasia bill, 20 years after the country repealed the world's first mercy-killing law for the terminally ill. The Legislative Council insisted on amending a bill passed by parliament's lower chamber, the Legislative Assembly, last month, 47 votes to 37. The parliament of Australian's most populous state, New South Wales, last week rejected a doctor-assisted suicide bill by a single vote, 20 to 19. But the Australian Parliament overturned that law in 1997 after four people had been helped to die. The Australian Parliament does not have the same power to repeal the laws of states such as Victoria.

Source: ABC News November 22, 2017 06:17 UTC