The MP, who has supported the bill, said the amendments would have considerably changed the bill that had been developed by a panel of experts over two years.

“There hasn’t been enough time to consider what consequences amendments may have on the bill as a whole,” she said.

“The party room decided on a conscience vote for all members so I exercised that right and voted with my conscience to support my position.” 

The laws passed Victoria’s lower house on Friday morning after a marathon sitting overnight. The legislation will go to Parliament's upper house next month.

The bill passed the lower house with 47 votes for and 37 votes against and Mrs Britnell said it had been an intense and emotional week with a long and tough debate.

“I have spent many weeks and months studying both the Ministerial Panel’s report and the subsequent legislation,” she said. 

“I studied both documents in depth and conducted consultation based on their contents. It is on these documents and that consultation I formed my position to support the bill.”

The passing of the bill comes after Warrnambool and District Community Hospice president Eric Fairbank said he hoped the debate would mean more people spoke openly about death and their intentions.

“I guess I’ve been guided by the fact that the majority of people would like this legislation passed and would like this choice, just in case they are one of the very few percentage of people that suffered with physical pain that medication didn’t relieve,” he said.

The former South West Healthcare palliative care doctor Eric Fairbank said in Victoria about 40,000 people died each year and about 150 people a year would use the legislation.

He said in his experience there had been very few people who directly asked to die and within the existing legislation there were ways to keep people comfortable.

He said he hoped the debate would make palliative care more universally available, particularly for people in rural and regional areas. He said the Community End of Life seminars had been well attended and helped people to consider having an advanced care plans.