Fight for NT assisted dying laws continues, 24 years after Bob Dent became the first Territorian to die by euthanasia

TWENTY-FOUR years after Judy Dent’s husband Bob became the first person in the NT to die by euthanasia, she’s still fighting for others to once again have the right to choose.

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TWENTY-FOUR years after Judy Dent’s husband Bob became the first person in the NT to die by euthanasia, she’s still fighting for others to once again have the right to choose.

After suffering from prostate cancer that had spread to his bones, Mr Dent died by voluntary euthanasia in September 1996.

The advocate of voluntary assisted dying was one of four people to choose voluntary euthanasia in the NT before the federal government stepped in and took away the right for Territorians to die by euthanasia in 1997.

The laws need to be repealed by the federal government to allow Territorians to reintroduce any such law again.

Judy Dent, wife of the first man to be euthanised in the NT, wants to see Territorians once again granted the right to choose. Picture: Aaron Burton

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Ms Dent said her husband would be appalled to learn the right to euthanasia had been taken away just months after he had done it himself.

“He would be disgusted, annoyed appalled, not very happy,” she said.

Ms Dent is the president of the NT Voluntary Euthanasia Society and believes not enough is being done to give Territorians their right to choose.

“From my point of view, no, they (Territory politicians) are not doing enough but they have so many other things that are taking priority,” she said.

Robert ‘Bob’ Dent was the first person to die using the 1996 NT voluntary euthanasia law. The anniversary of his death was yesterday.

Ms Dent believes a politician’s personal view got in the way of laws that the general public wanted to see.

She said the laws put in place in Canberra treated those living in Territories as second-class citizens.

“I choose to live in the NT; the fact that WA and Vic have voluntary assisted dying legislation will not be sufficient for me to move to either place, but why should I have to move to one of those places? Is my citizenship not as good as someone else’s?,” she said.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the government’s support for voluntary euthanasia had not changed, with a letter sent to Prime Minister Scott Morrison late last year.

“As I’ve always said, Territorians deserve the same rights as every other Australian,” Mr Gunner said.

“It should be up to Territorians to have a say about issues that affect their lives – not Canberra politicians.”

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