00:01The NT became the first Australian jurisdiction to legalise voluntary assisted dying in 1995 but those laws were controversially overturned
00:11by the Commonwealth a couple of years later.
00:13The Territory did not regain the right to pass its own laws until 2022 and after two subsequent inquiries the
00:21country Liberal Party government last month introduced a new bill seeking to legalise voluntary assisted dying.
00:27That bill returned to Parliament for debate this morning with every member of Parliament expected to speak on it today.
00:34Several politicians including some government backbenchers are expected to move amendments to the bill on Thursday which if passed will
00:41make it more progressive.
00:43The bill currently includes a doctor gag clause which means doctors will not be able to initiate conversations with patients
00:50about voluntary assisted dying.
00:52It also has a clause which means people will not be able to access voluntary assisted dying until they have
00:5812 months or less to live.
01:00Two government backbenchers are seeking to move amendments that will see both the gag clause and 12 month timeframe removed.
01:08The opposition and crossbench are also seeking to have those clauses removed.
01:12But the government has 17 members in the Territory's 25 seat Parliament.
01:17So it remains to be seen whether those amendments will have enough support to pass during a conscience vote on
01:23Thursday night.
01:24Theidores 1.
01:26D14T
01:274.
01:285.
01:282.
01:283.
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