April 12, 2023

Open Letter to the Members of the NT Parliament

We, the undersigned, call upon the members of the Northern Territory Assembly to pass a Voluntary Assisted Dying Act immediately with the purpose of benefiting the people in the Northern Territory who are suffering unbearably, for example from illness or the poly-pathologies of old age.

In 1996, the Northern Territory led the world by enacting the world’s first law where a terminally ill person could ask for help to die – the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act.

The Rights of the Terminally Ill Act was passed by a 13/12 majority in the Assembly.

The deciding vote was that of the Member for Arnhem, Wes Lanhupuy who acknowledged that while his people were unlikely to ever use such a law, he said:

‘I believe a person should have the right to be able to determine what they want [at the end of life] if they are of sane mind’.

The Rights of the Terminally Ill Act was overturned by conscience vote using the loophole of S122 of the Australian Constitution in the Australian Parliament a mere 9 months later. In December 2022, the preventative Euthanasia Laws Act was finally abolished.

Since 1997, many countries around the world have passed assisted dying laws (Eg. Netherlands, Belgium etc).

Many states in America have passed Medical Aid in Dying laws (MAiD).

The ACT in Australia is now moving fast to enact its own Assisted Dying Law.

It is time for the Northern Territory to again lead the way in humane and kind end of life treatment of those who – after a life well lived – seek a peaceful and dignified death at a time of their choosing.