Dr Philip Nitschke urges Natasha Fyles to legislate euthanasia
One of the world’s leading advocates for voluntary assisted dying has taken the Territory’s fight to the Chief Minister. Here’s how he thinks we can move forward on the reform.
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The Chief Minister has told one of the world’s most prominent euthanasia advocates right-to-die legislation was not a priority to address before the 2024 Territory election.
During a meeting with Natasha Fyles at parliament on Wednesday, Dr Philip Nitschke said the Chief Minister admitted “there’s a bit of a logjam of legislation to try get through”.
Dr Nitschke presented Ms Fyles with an open letter signed by dozens of Territorians seeking voluntary assisted dying laws.
Dr Nitschke was the first doctor in the world to administer a legal voluntary injection to end someone’s life.
And he did it in the Northern Territory.
Dr Nitschke helped just four patients under the Territory’s world-first voluntary assisted dying laws before they were overturned by the commonwealth in 1997.
Decades later, he has watched every Australian jurisdiction act on euthanasia laws but the one where it all started.
Dr Nitschke described the meeting on Wednesday as “successful but by no means any miracle”.
“There is going to be a delay until after the next election,” he said.
“(The Chief Minister’s) argument is that there’s two things.
“First, there’s a bit of a logjam of legislation to try get through … the other is the issue of treading carefully.
“But I suggested that’s an opportunity to set up a funded committee (in the meantime) to have a close look at the legislation in other states, but in particular, changes that have taken place in Europe.
“She thought that might well be possible, she would bring that up with Cabinet.”
Dr Nitschke believes voluntary assisted dying laws in countries including Switzerland, the Netherlands and Germany offer a much better model to those adopted in Australia.
“The Territory (should) not fall into the same mistakes, which I would argue that Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia have made,” he said.
“(In Australia) usually you’ve got to go present yourself to a panel of doctors who will decide whether they think you’re suffering enough.
“(In Europe) the argument there is the state really should have no place in trying to determine the very subjective nature of a person’s suffering.”
Canberra returned the right for territories to pass euthanasia laws late last year.
Ms Fyles has not committed to a review, consultation or any legislation in her government’s current term, which ends in August 2024.
“Voluntary assisted dying is a complex issue and one that many people feel passionate about,” she said.
“Territorians deserve to have a say on how they want these laws to work in the Territory to suit our needs.
“We have been restricted on this topic in the Territory for years and we are now able to begin those sensitive conversations – but they are conversations that we aren’t going to rush.
“It can be a sensitive and confronting topic for many people so it is important that any future legislation is done through intensive and thorough consultation with all Territorians.”
‘Not a difficult task’: Former CM calls for Territory euthanasia laws
A former NT chief minister and the architect behind the world’s first voluntary assisted dying laws is fighting a 27-year battle.
Marshall Perron introduced the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act in 1995 as a private members Bill, paving the way for euthanasia reform across the globe.
After the commonwealth quashed the legislation two years later, Mr Perron has been advocating for the right to be returned to Territorians.
That became a possibility late last year after the federal government granted territories the power to once again create euthanasia laws.
However Chief Minister Natasha Fyles has maintained she will not put the topic to parliament before the 2024 election.
The CLP opposition appear to be equally lukewarm on the topic, despite nine in 10 NT News readers saying the Territory should legalise euthanasia.
Mr Perron said “the hard work has been done” for them.
“Developing a compassionate, safe VAD regimen is not a difficult task,” the former CLP leader said.
“The Territory has access to comprehensive inquiries into VAD by every state parliament.
“The Territory’s Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995 was an uncomplicated law that did not require anybody to do anything.
“If anyone disagreed with the principle of assisted dying for any reason, the law protected their right not be involved in any stage of the process.
“They could live their life as if the law did not exist.
“The hard work has been done. All that is needed now is some action.”
The former politician, who now resides in Queensland, had his views heard at a public meeting in Darwin on Thursday, run by advocacy group Exit International.
The organisation’s founder Dr Philip Nitschke – the first doctor in the world to administer a legal, lethal voluntary injection under the Territory’s short-lived legislation – said it was high time the NT government put euthanasia back on the agenda.
“We tail not only the rest of the world, but the rest of Australia, and it’s embarrassing,” he said.
“The ACT, which was also allowed to make laws when the overturning of the Andrew’s Act took place a couple of months ago, are really moving fast – whereas the (Northern) Territory’s got nothing.
“The Territory’s got a reputation for being ‘out there’, being a frontier … being prepared to do things that no one else does, which is really why it got through in the first place.
“But now it appears we’re too frightened to do anything.”
Dr Nitschke is due to meet Chief Minister Natasha Fyles later this month to put his case forward.
He will give her an open letter signed by dozens of Territorians, united in their view that it is “time for the Northern Territory to again lead the way in humane and kind end-of-life treatment.”
“To simply say it’s in the ‘too hard’ basket until after the election, is a rather sad cop out,” he said.
Mr Perron estimated more than 1000 Territorians would have used euthanasia laws in the 25 years since the right was vetoed by the commonwealth.
“How ironic is it that the mantra when living in the Northern Territory before self-government in 1978 ‘when in pain, catch a plane’,” he said.
“Here we are 45 years later and dying Territorians are again having to move to another part of Australia to find relief of suffering.”
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