A response to the NT VAD independent expert advisory panel report.

by MARSHALL PERRON Former NT Chief MinisterArchitect and sponsor of the NT Rights of the Terminally Ill ACT (1995) It has now been 19 months since the NT regained the authority to revisit VAD in December 2022. By not delivering a draft VAD Bill, but a series of recommendations to be further considered, the whole […]

Report into Voluntary Assisted Dying in the Northern Territory

On July 31, the Northern Territory’s Expert Advisory Panel released a report on Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD). The report advocates for the legalisation of VAD in the NT and outlines a recommended policy framework with relevant safeguards. The NT government will now review and consider the report’s 22 recommendations. If supported, these will inform draft […]

‘Be Bold’ with VAD Access

Voluntary assisted dying advocates are calling for the Northern Territory to “be bold” again and extend euthanasia access to people suffering from dementia. Jack Ellis, 80, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2021, and is being supported by his partner Chris Tyzack. The Wagait Beach couple both signed advanced personal plans before Jack’s diagnosis, requesting access […]

Tread Softly

Voluntary assisted dying is one of the most sensitive topics to bring up in the Northern Territory. It’s sensitive both in the nature of what it is dealing with – death – and also in the fact that the NT is the only jurisdiction in Australia where it is not legal. Mid last year, the […]

Submission to NT VAD Advisory Panel

This Submission to the Expert Advisory Panel on Voluntary Assisted Dying legislation in the Northern Territory, by Marshall Perron, was sent to the Northern Territory Voluntary Assisted Dying Advisory Panel on 6 February 2024. In his submission, Marshall says that: The obvious starting point for the NT will be to combine the most progressive elements […]

Principles for a Voluntary Assisted Dying Law

On Thursday the 11th January, the committee had a meeting with Duncan McConnel, co-chair of the Expert Advisory Panel for VAD and member Dr Geetanjali Lamba. We presented the NTVES Position Statement (download below). Our proposal goes beyond what is available in the states where legislation has been passed over the past few years. In […]

Marshall Perron’s address, the ‘historical strategic blueprint for achieving VAD’

At the Canberra National Press Club Conference on 1 October 1996, the former Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, Marshall Perron, was the invited speaker. His speech has been regarded by some as being much more than a historical foundation stone but more like a historical strategic blueprint for achieving Voluntary Assisted Dying.  Marshall Perron’s […]