Euthanasia opponent Sarah Henderson to lead territory rights inquiry

Victorian Liberal senator Sarah Henderson says she doesn't support Federal Parliament opening the door for the NT - or the ACT - to make their assisted dying laws.

The Senate's legal and constitutional affairs committee has been tasked with inquiring into Country Liberal senator Sam McMahon's bill to repeal the federal laws which ban the NT from making voluntary assisted dying laws.

Senator McMahon made the controversial decision to exclude the ACT from her bill after ACT senator and euthanasia opponent Zed Seselja signalled that he wouldn't support it.

The NT senator, who is set to exit federal politics at the next election after losing a preselection contest, said her legislation would "right the wrong" that was done when Kevin Andrews' bill passed parliament in 1997.

Her proposal - which also includes measures related to workplace laws and land acquisitions - will be scrutinised by the committee before it is put to a debate.

That inquiry will be chaired by Senator Henderson, an avowed opponent of voluntary assisted dying.

Senator Henderson confirmed her position in response to a Canberra Times survey of all federal members and senators on support for a repeal of the so-called Andrews Bill.

"I am deeply opposed to euthanasia which I regard as state-sanctioned killing," Senator Henderson said in response to the survey.

MORE 'OUR RIGHT TO DECIDE' CAMPAIGN

"I do not support a change in the law which would allow the ACT and the NT to legalise euthanasia, whether it be called voluntary assisted dying or by any other name."

Senator Henderson said it was a "very dark day" when in 2017 Victoria became the first state to pass voluntary assisted dying laws.

The survey, conducted as part of The Canberra Times' Our Right to Decide campaign, was done before the inquiry was called into Senator McMahon's territory rights bill.

Once it was called, The Canberra Times followed up with Senator Henderson to ask if her personal views on voluntary assisted dying would influence the running of the inquiry.

In response, her spokeswoman said the inquiry was not an examination into the "morality of euthanasia, but an investigation into a constitutional issue regarding the relationship between the Commonwealth and the territories".

"The substance of the bill relates to the question of whether the Northern Territory can legislate independently of the Commonwealth," the spokeswoman said.

The inquiry is due to report on October 6.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: