NT Labor VAD Bill cranks up battle ahead of sitting week
The Territory opposition has challenged the government with its own Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill, finding an unexpected ally in the Australian Christian Lobby.
Momentum towards the return of Voluntary Assisted Dying to the Northern Territory is building, with the issue expected to dominate politics this week as parliament returns.
The Labor opposition has delivered a private members Bill to steal a march on the government, and some members are expected to put their position onto the record for the first time in an anticipated debate.
On Monday Opposition Leader Selena Uibo announced she had drafted a VAD Bill and called on the government to work with that version rather than “waste more time” developing legislation.
Ms Uibo first committed to developing the private members Bill in May, well before the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee (LCAC) delivered its report recommending VAD be adopted and offering drafting instructions.
Labor’s Bill is more conservative than the LCAC recommendations on several key points, including imposing a prognosis timeline and making loved ones ineligible to act as a legal witness if they are also a beneficiary of the patient’s will.
The Labor Bill also limits access to those with a medical condition that is “causing suffering”, while the LCAC recommended access be extended to those whose suffering is “actual or anticipated”.
The Australian Christian Lobby called for all VAD progress to be abandoned, but said Labor’s draft was its preferred framework out of the two.
“Although we oppose all attempts to introduce VAD, it’s obvious that Labor’s draft Bill includes far better protections than the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee’s proposal,” ACL NT director Nicholas Lay said.
Ms Uibo said the details of the Bill could be worked out through a public consultation process, and that using Labor’s draft would save months of work.
“This is a guiding framework for Territorians to have their say,” she said.
“I have proposed to the Chief Minister and the Attorney-General today that now with the government resources they can run a full consultation on this draft Bill.
“I’m essentially gifting this Bill – we’ve done the work for the last five months – to the CLP government so they don’t have to do that bit of the legwork.”
“This issue is too important for further delays.”
Once a world leader, the NT is now the only Australian jurisdiction without VAD laws.
In December 2022, the Restoring Territory Rights Bill returned the Territory’s right to introduce VAD.
In mid-2023 the Fyles Labor government commissioned an independent expert advisory panel to produce a report on developing legislation in the NT.
That report was delivered in July 2024, but no action was taken before the CLP won power that August.
Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro initially said introducing VAD was not a priority of her government, but under increasing pressure from Territorians she ordered the LCAC to undertake another inquiry into the issue.
After the LCAC returned its findings at the end of last month, the Attorney-General promised to deliver a Bill to Territory parliament early next year.
Council on the Ageing NT said Territorians were sick of VAD being used for political points, and called on the CLP government to use Labor’s draft Bill.
“This should save the government time and money, and Territorians want this law as soon as possible,” chief executive Sue Shearer said.
“They (the CLP) duplicated the process with the LCAC consultation when the expert panel had done all that work, and so I’d say now: don’t duplicate this draft just because another party did it.
“Let’s not be juvenile, let’s have a bipartisan approach – Territorians have waited long enough.”
Also in parliament this week, the CLP government will start the process of merging Tourism NT and NT Major Events Company, and debate a plan to expand the container deposit scheme to include previously excluded such as wine bottles, spirit bottles and milk cartons.
Leader of Government Business Steve Edgington said the government would also “deliver on or promised reforms” to the Anti-Discrimination Act.
Last month anticipated debate on the Bill was delayed at the eleventh hour for further consultation.
The Attorney-General was contacted for comment.
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Originally published as NT Labor VAD Bill cranks up battle ahead of sitting week
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