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 NT government announced it had formed a consultation panel to discuss what VAD laws could look like in the Territory, after the passing of the Restoring Territory Rights Bill that handed us back the power to legislate on the topic.
The advisory panel will carry out community consultation and provide an independent report to policymakers by July. This conversation has most recently come back into the spotlight after The Australian revealed some of the questions asked during said community consultation.
Of great concern for some was the question “A person should be able to access voluntary assisted dying if they only have a mental health condition as the reason” with respondents given options from “definitely agree” to “definitely disagree”.
When Chief Minister Eva Lawler was asked about her position on the topic, she quickly shut down the broadsheet’s reporter. Ms Lawler, who was very vocal about supporting euthanasia in 2021, said the issue was sensitive and proper community consultation was paramount.
“I do not want scare campaigns being launched by media people in the Northern Territory in relation to voluntary assisted dying,” Ms Lawler said.
While that is true and the process will take a while to discover the views of the majority, the more we shut down debate on legalising euthanasia, the more taboo the subject becomes.
There are advocates in the Territory that have been advocating for these laws for decades after seeing their loved ones struggle in their final moments, and there are also people who hold views of concerns for people who may be adversely affected by the wording of these reforms.
We do need to tread carefully with consultation and find a way to bring the Territory in line with the rest of Australia, but in a way that works best for us.
[Source: NT News, 22 February 2024]