Still Time to Submit to the NT VAD Consultations

 

Suzanne James

8 August 2025

It's not too late to put in your submission in support of Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) in the Northern Territory (NT).  It is now the only place in Australia without VAD legislation.

Submission is Easy

The NT Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee will continue to accept submissions until 15 August 2025 with both email and telephone submissions available.  They will then write their final report, due back to the NT Government by the end of September.

You don't have to live in the NT to make a submission.  In fact because all other States and from November the ACT, now have VAD legislation in place, advocates encourage interstate supporters to share their views and help highlight to the Committee the compassion and increased quality of end of life that VAD legislation brings to the terminally ill.

The short consultation guide sets out the four questions to be answered and provides the email address and telephone number.

Why Has the NT Been Left Out?

The Northern Territory was the first place in the world to legislate VAD with the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995 under the stewardship of then CLP Chief Minister Marshall Perron.  Only four people were able to use it before it fell victim to the biggest act of political sabotage since The Dismissal.

Led by far-right radical conservative Kevin Andrews, the Commonwealth intervened using an anomaly in how the Federation was set up to strip both Territories of their democratic right to legislate rather than give up a shred of their personal power to the democratic will of the people.

The legislative tool they used to do this was finally rescinded with the Restoring Territory Rights Bill 2022.  The ACT immediately acted, passing their legislation in 2023.

The current CLP Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro however, has refused to address it for the NT, stating repeatedly VAD is "not a priority" for her Government. She was nonetheless forced to respond to a motion by Independent Justine Davis in May 2025, who moved the Government endorse the extensive consultations already done and progress the framework set out in the NT VAD Independent Expert Advisory Panel Final Report 2024.

Instead the CLP insisted it be referred to another committee consultation process and this current - and hopefully the last - round of public consultation is the result.

Once their report goes back to the NT Legislative Assembly at the end of September, advocates hope the NT Government will finally be forced to act and that after thirty years of can-kicking, the good people of the NT will finally have their hard-won, world first VAD rights restored.