Federal Govt confirms it has ‘no plans’ to review euthanasia laws in the NT, blaming COVID-19

FEDERAL Attorney-General Christian Porter says there are no plans for the government to repeal laws that prevent Territories from legalising euthanasia.

• Fight for NT assisted dying laws continues, 24 years after Bob Dent became the first Territorian to die by euthanasia
• Editorial: Canberra must relinquish its control over Territorians’ rights and let the NT decide on euthanasia again
• Territory leaders call for right to make euthanasia laws
• NT still stuck on voluntary euthanasia
• NT euthanasia laws back on the table

FEDERAL Attorney-General Christian Porter says there are no plans for the government to repeal laws that prevent Territories from legalising euthanasia.

Last week was the 24th anniversary of the death of Bob Dent, the first person in the NT to die by voluntary euthanasia.

A spokesman for the Attorney-General said the government’s focus was on dealing with the impacts of coronavirus.

“The government’s immediate focus is quite rightly on keeping Australians safe from COVID-19 and regrowing our economy and the jobs that have been lost in the last six months,” he said.

“There are no plans to introduce legislation to repeal the Euthanasia Laws Act 1997.”

Judy Dent, the wife of the first man to be euthanised in the NT, wants to see euthanasia legalised in the Territory. Picture: Aaron Burton

Judy Dent, Bob’s widow and president of the NT Voluntary Euthanasia Society, said the Territory would have more luck getting the Act repealed once all states had passed voluntary assisted dying laws.

“I think if it were easy we would have had it done by now, but it’s not easy and various people have tried but they have some excuse and now they have a really big excuse,” she said.

“I just hope it happens before I drop dead.”

Member for Solomon Luke Gosling said he would be looking to table another private members’ Bill on the matter after it was not heard in the last parliament.

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Chief Minster Michael Gunner said nothing could be done until Canberra changed their mind.

“We will continue to raise this issue with the feds whenever we can. I need Territorians to help me here as well. Get on the phone or write an email to politicians in Canberra and tell them we want to decide this issue for ourselves. People power can make the difference,” he said.

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