Chief Minister Eva Lawler promises a Voluntary Assisted Dying bill if re-elected, but CLP remain cautious
Labor promises to present a bill on Territorians right to die within the next parliamentary term if re-elected — but the opposition remains cautious about committing to a Voluntary Assisted Dying bill.
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The ballot box may decide how quickly Territorians are presented with legislation on the right to die following the release of the independent voluntary assisted dying report.
Chief Minister Eva Lawler has committed to tabling a Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) bill before the next parliament if her party is re-elected on August 24, but the CLP remains cautious over committing to legislation over the next four years.
On Wednesday the independent expert advisory panel on VAD released its 132-page report which recommended that patients with a “serious and incurable condition that is causing intolerable suffering” should be able to access life-ending care.
Among its 22 recommendations were calls for VAD eligibility to not be limited to Australian citizens, and was limited to patients with a predicted life expectancy of less than 12 months.
While not committing to all of the expert panel’s recommendations, Ms Lawler did promise that a Labor government would introduce a VAD bill in the next parliamentary term.
“Labor’s on the record that we will bring in legislation around voluntary assisted dying,” Ms Lawler said.
Both Labor and the CLP have both committed to allow a free vote, allowing their members to be guided by their conscience when a voluntary assisted dying Bill is presented.
Ms Lawler was one of just 11 current members of parliament to actively come out in support of the right to die, when asked by the NT News in February.
“I think people who know my past understand that I am a strong supporter of voluntary assisted dying,” she said on Wednesday.
The VAD report controversially did not recommend that dementia patients should be able to access the scheme, even if the patient expressed their wishes through an advance personal plan before they lost their decision-making capacities.
On Wednesday Ms Lawler shared that her mother, who passed away two years ago, spent her final six years living with dementia.
“I know how terrible those last few months are for someone with dementia,” Ms Lawler said.
“After seeing the suffering, seeing how terrible that was for a vibrant, highly intelligent woman … I absolutely support having your care plan where you say what you want to do when you get to a certain stage in your life.”
“These are my personal views around dementia, but that’s from my own personal experience.
“I think there’s a better way to die.”
However Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro was more cautious, emphasising her party was still “combing over” the details within the sweeping 132-page report.
When asked if a incoming CLP government would table a bill, Ms Finocchiaro replied: “The report has been dropped today, we are going through that”.
Despite the report receiving submissions from more than 1400 Territorians, 98 written submissions, statements from 56 stakeholders and numerous public community forums — Ms Finocchiaro said her members would still need to “listen and consult with every constituent about what is important to them in this issue”.
But Council on the Ageing NT chief executive and member of the VAD independent expert panel, Sue Shearer warned any future government not to create unnecessary delays.
“I hope this doesn’t just sit there gathering dust,” Ms Shearer said.
“I’d urge whichever government gets into power: Do not dilly dally with this.”
Ms Shearer said the recommendations from the final report were largely in-line with existing VAD schemes across Australia.
“We didn’t want to go outside the square. We could have been brave, we could have been courageous — but we just want this over the line,” she said.
“We were the first, and now we’re the last — which is ironic really.”
Quoting former Chief Minister Marshal Perron, who introduced the Rights of the Terminally Ill Bill in 1995, Ms Shearer told politicians and candidates: “Do not deny me my choice”.
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