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A group of Federal MPs are seeking to restore the rights of the Northern Territory and the ACT to legalise voluntary euthanasia, almost 20 years after the Howard government overrode the NT's landmark law.
Key Points:
- Federal MPs support bill allowing the NT and ACT to have their own voluntary euthanasia laws
- NT's Rights of the Terminally Ill Act overridden by Federal Parliament in 1997
- NT Chief Minister Adam Giles is 'very keen' to have euthanasia brought back in
NT Labor Senator Nova Peris and Greens Leader Richard Di Natale are among the group who will introduce the Restoring Territory Rights bill to Federal Parliament this week.
The bill will seek to undo laws passed in 1997 that effectively overrode the Northern Territory's euthanasia laws and prevented any Territory from legislating on the issue.
Senator Di Natale said the bill was an important first step, adding that he hoped the issue would become as potent as the marriage equality debate.
"Clearly this is an issue of conscience," Senator Di Natale said.
"We should allow each of those individuals who have a strong view to express that in the Parliament.
"We know that 70 to 80 per cent of the Australian community want this changed."
Senator Peris described the issue as "a big thorn" in the side of Territorians.
"I'm a proud supporter of dying with dignity," Senator Peris said.
"This is 2016, we need to get out of the dark ages."
Euthanasia laws a sore point in NT
The Northern Territory's Rights of the Terminally Ill Act passed the NT Parliament in May 1995 and came into effect a year later.
It enabled terminally ill people to end their own lives with medical approval.
But it was not long before the Federal Government moved to quash the Territory's law, with Liberal MP Kevin Andrews working with Labor's Tony Burke on a private members bill that overrode the Territory's euthanasia laws.
The issue has remained a sore point for Territorians and parliamentarians from all sides of politics have argued for the jurisdiction's right to make its own euthanasia laws.
"I'd be very happy and very keen to see euthanasia brought back to the Territory," Chief Minister Adam Giles said today.
Independent MLA Kezia Purick, said the Howard-government legislation was a question of democracy.
"They trampled over our rights," Ms Purick said.
"It gave the feeling that the Territory and its Parliament and its legislation and its lawmakers didn't really matter.
"Territorians, in this regard, have very long memories and I know that there's a strong groundswell of support and community support for a piece of legislation to come back into our Northern Territory Parliament."
Topics: euthanasia, government-and-politics, nt, canberra-2600