Northern Territory Attorney-General declares support for bill to legalise voluntary assisted dying

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The Northern Territory government says a bill to legalise voluntary assisted dying will be introduced to parliament in the middle of this year. Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby today was one of the first ministers of the Country Liberal government to come out in support in the laws, which are currently being drafted.

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00:00Between May and July this year the NT Parliament can expect to see voluntary assisted dying laws

00:07introduced more than 30 years after the NT became the world's first jurisdiction to legalise

00:13euthanasia in 1995. A federal government ban on the NT's voluntary assisted dying laws having

00:20ended in 2022 means the NT is now the last jurisdiction in Australia to legalise it.

00:26Subject to a conscience vote the laws currently being drafted could see the implementation of a

00:32clear end-of-life time frame for VAD applicants in line with those of other states. After a handful

00:39of government backbenchers last year said they would vote in favour of VAD laws today Attorney

00:45General Marie Claire Boothby was one of the first senior government members to declare their support.

00:51It's showing me that Territorians do want to have the right to um to be terminally ill and end their

00:58life and and have the choice to do that and so I will be supporting the bill when it comes to

01:03Parliament. I've definitely spoken to my community enough to make that decision.

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