Shane Rattenbury to call for territory rights support at meeting of attorneys-general

Mr Rattenbury will come face-to-face with federal Attorney-General Michaelia Cash at the meeting of attorneys-general on Friday after she last month dismissed a call from the territories to reverse the ban.

At the meeting, Mr Rattenbury and Northern Territory Attorney-General Selena Uibo will ask their state counterparts at the meeting to support the territories' right to legislate on voluntary assisted dying.

They will specifically ask the attorneys-general to call on the federal government to repeal the so-called Andrews Bill.

"It's absolutely time these discriminatory restrictions were removed and we ask the attorneys-general of Australia to support us in this call," Mr Rattenbury said.

"It is very simple, if citizens of the states are allowed to access voluntary assisted dying schemes, citizens of the territories should also be allowed.

"Residents of the territories are being treated as second-class citizens. The imposed restriction on our ability to legislate on voluntary assisted dying is inequitable and undemocratic."

ACT and the NT have been unable to legislate on voluntary assisted dying since 1997, following a bill from Liberal MP Kevin Andrews which repealed that right.

Senator Cash last month said the federal government had no plans to introduce legislation to repeal the ban on the territories.

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Almost every state has passed laws to legalise voluntary assisted dying. NSW is the only state that hasn't, however, a bill is currently being considered by the state's Parliament.

ACT Human Rights Minister Tara Cheyne and Ms Uibo wrote to former federal attorney-general Christian Porter in March, accusing the federal government's laws of being undemocratic and inconsistent with Australia's international human rights obligations.

Senator Cash, who took over as Attorney-General shortly after the letter was sent, only responded last month.

"The government recognises that members of the community have strong views about dying with dignity, compassion, and with minimal pain," Senator Cash's letter said.

"While I appreciate the diversity of views, the government does not have any current plans to introduce legislation to repeal the Euthanasia Laws Act."

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