Speaking on Friday, November 19, during debate on the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2021 Mr Layzell acknowledged the varying views on the matter within his electorate.

"It is obvious to me that the views are very varied across my electorate, and I can see merit in the reasoning that has been given to me from both sides," Mr Layzell said.

"That is why I have struggled so deeply to make a decision on the bill."

Mr Layzell said he had discussed the issue at length with many members of the Upper Hunter community and had come to the conclusion that he could not support the bill.

"I am not medically trained nor legally minded so, as a simple man, I have boiled my decision down to three key principles: the concept of suffering, the concept of burden and my belief in the future of our society," Mr Layzell said.

On the issue of suffering, Mr Layzell said the end of life "can be ugly, emotional and painful in many ways".

"The question I have always asked, when we speak of suffering, is this: Is it about the patient, or is it about the people who have to watch?" Mr Layzell said.

"How much are we motivated by fear, and can this bill address the tragic feeling of loss experienced by those who have watched a loved one at the end of life?

"I came to this conclusion: No, I do not believe it can. Yet it is on this basis that many people have asked me to support this bill."

Mr Layzell said in his view the arguments in favour of voluntary assisted dying had to be "counterbalanced with the burden we place on doctors who are charged with the administration of this final act".

"We are asking doctors, who carry a duty of care as their basic charter, to perform acts that deliberately kill another human being," Mr Layzell said.

"Whether it is merciful or not, it is a heavy burden society would ask of them."

The decision made by the NSW Parliament in relation to voluntary assisted dying was "pivotal to determining the future of our society" according to Mr Layzell.

"I fear that passing this bill will place pressure on a patient to choose assisted suicide in order to give their family peace and relieve them from potential suffering," he said.

"I fear that family members with spurious motives, such as inheritance or inconvenience, will place pressure on patients to choose an assisted suicide."

Mr Layzell said he believed the restrictions included within the legislation to prevent the misuse of the bill's provisions would be watered down over time.

"More vulnerable groups will be included in the bill over the years as we normalise this suicide process," Mr Layzell said.

"That is not the society I wish to see in the future.

"My wish is for a society that continues to focus on the range of palliative care treatments available at the end of life - in particular, for those in regional New South Wales who want to spend their last days at home but who are bound by distance to the nearest hospital."

Mr Layzell said he understood the suffering experienced by those seeking access to voluntary assisted dying and did not wish to allow prolonged suffering, however he remained concerned about "the burden people feel at the end of their life, the difficulty families face and the burden we place on our doctors".

"It is not a human right that someone is able to ask the healthcare system to assist with their suicide," Mr Layzell said.

"No matter how strong the process is, we should never allow a government to legalise the killing of its citizens."

The full Hansard transcript of Mr Layzell's speech on the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2021 is available at the NSW Parliament website.