As the Victorian Government sought the approval of MPs to become the first Australian state to legalise voluntary assisted dying, it lobbied undecided politicians for their vote by telling them they would be backing the most conservative model of its kind in the world.

"There is a very strict criteria to determine which patients might be eligible," Premier Daniel Andrews said of Victoria's laws which came into force earlier this month, pointing to what he described as 68 safeguards covering the system.

But if WA's McGowan Government follows the lead of an expert panel it appointed to investigate the laws, it would struggle to convince on-the-fence MPs that it has taken the most cautious path possible.

Opponents are already pointing to the panel's proposed model to back their argument that legalising euthanasia would put society on a "slippery slope".

The reason is that the panel, chaired by former governor Malcolm McCusker, has taken a view that is widely considered much more liberal than the model Victoria's Parliament came up with.

Health Minister Roger Cook (left) accepted the panel's report from Malcolm McCusker this week. ( ABC News: Benjamin Gubana )

The key differences

Most significantly, Victorians are only eligible for voluntary assisted dying (VAD) if they have an incurable condition "expected" to cause death within six months.

Mr McCusker's panel has proposed a less restrictive requirement, suggesting WA open up VAD to someone with a terminal condition where "death is reasonably foreseeable for the person within a period of 12 months".

That is not the only point where the panel suggested a significantly different path for WA than Victoria has chosen.

While Victoria requires the approval of two doctors before any request can proceed, WA's scheme would need the sign-off of just one — if a nurse practitioner also agrees.

Victoria also has a third approval tier — a sign-off by its health department — which the WA panel recommended against.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 1 minute 41 seconds 1 m 41 s How pharmacists will dispense drugs to eligible Victorians under the state's assisted dying laws

And, while the floated WA scheme would generally require the person to have lived in the state for 12 months, exceptions could be made through the State Administrative Tribunal.

Critics attack 'dangerous' model

Those key differences have critics, including the state's peak medical lobby, up in arms.

"There is no justification for slipping down the slope into a bad regime that is in fact dangerous," Australian Medical Association (AMA) WA president Omar Khorshid said.

AMA WA president Omar Khorshid says he's disappointed in the assisted dying proposals. ( ABC News: Alisha O'Flaherty )

"It has recommended a regime that is not as safe as the regime that has just started in Victoria."

The Government has been at pains to dismiss suggestions it has taken a less conservative approach than Victoria, saying the panel's findings were more a matter of best practice.

Health Minister Roger Cook insisted the scheme represented a "conservative approach", while Mr McCusker said the panel had balanced the need for compassion with the requirement for safeguards.

But Premier Mark McGowan, while labelling the report "an outstanding job" and "very persuasive", opened the door to winding back some of the panel's suggestions.

In particular, he said the Government was still deciding whether to follow the recommendation of the scheme being open to those whose death is foreseeable within one year or follow the Victorian path of six months.

"The report is persuasive but not binding … but the drafting process may well have some differences," he said.

"We will draft legislation and you will see if there is any nuancing of the report when the legislation comes out."

Supporters confident laws will pass

Mr McCusker said his committee had "navigated the minefield", but left critics with deep concerns and even some supporters surprised at how far the proposal went.

Supporters of VAD have been quietly confident they have the numbers to get the measure through State Parliament.

Assisted dying supporters need to win over a number of MPs still in the undecided camp. ( ABC News: Eliza Laschon )

The biggest concern for some has been ensuring it gets to a vote, with fears of lengthy filibusters being used as delay tactics, as happened with a recent debate on surrogacy laws.

To get the votes required, the "yes" side will need to win over a number of MPs still in the undecided camp.

That is something the Government will need to consider closely when it chooses whether to follow the panel's recommendations or retreat to something more conservative and less politically risky.