NT euthanasia push set to face first Senate hurdle

The bill has opened a split in the Coalition between federalists and conservatives determined to stop more territories taking up euthanasia.

NT senator Sam McMahon. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford

A push to allow assisted dying in the Northern Territory will face its first hurdle in the Senate as early as Thursday.

NT Country Liberal senator Sam McMahon on Wednesday introduced her Bill to give the NT the power to decide its own euthanasia laws, nearly 25 years after it was denied such a right by the Howard government in 1997.

Senator McMahon said on Wednesday she was confident the motion would pass as early as this week and her bill would head into a months-long inquiry, before it heads to a final showdown in November.

But her bill has opened a split in the Coalition between federalists and conservatives who are determined to stop more Australian territories taking up euthanasia. “This is set to be a historic day for the Territory. Territorians are still aggrieved by having their wishes overridden and they feel quite passionately about writing this wrong,” Senator McMahon said.

She said she wanted the bill to go to committee so a full inquiry could inform the legislation.

The legal push does not currently include the ACT as Senator McMahon’s Coalition colleague and Canberra senator Zed Seselja does not support the move.

Senator McMahon said on Wednesday that Canberrans who believe her Bill should also give the ACT parliament the right to bring in assisted-dying laws could submit to her inquiry.

Senators would then be able to make amendments to her Bill to include the ACT when it returned to the Upper House floor in November.

The push from Senator McMahon follows the passage of euthanasia laws across a range of states including Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania.

Some Coalition MPs believe Senator McMahon will succeed in her bid to give the NT parliament the power to bring in assisted dying.