Territory rights support not secured at meetings of attorneys-general

ACT Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury and Northern Territory Attorney-General Selena Uibo asked their state counterparts at the meeting of attorneys-general on Friday to support the territories' right to legislate on voluntary assisted dying.

They specifically asked the attorneys-general to support a call on the federal government to repeal the Andrews Bill.

However, a resolution was not reached. Mr Rattenbury said the federal government had reaffirmed there were no plans to restore territory rights.

"The ACT and Northern Territory put a strong case forward to our federal and state counterparts, calling on them to support the rights of territories, and to remove the discriminatory restrictions preventing the territories from legislating on the important issue of voluntary assisted dying," Mr Rattenbury said.

"Disappointingly, the federal government made it clear that they still have no interest in supporting this change, despite the untenable situation where almost every state has now enacted VAD laws. We will continue to build pressure in the Federal Parliament and this law will eventually change."

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Mr Rattenbury said the ACT and NT would continue to advocate to other states on the issue.

"While the ACT and NT had a robust discussion with the States, no resolution was reached at this meeting. As such, we will pursue the issue further with all states in the coming weeks, seeking to put a unanimous position of support to the Federal Parliament," he said.

The territories were banned from creating legislation on voluntary assisted dying in 1997 after a bill was passed by the Federal Parliament.

The bill was put forward by Liberal MP Kevin Andrews in response to the Northern Territory's euthanasia laws. At the time, no other place in Australia had such laws.

However, since 2017 almost every state has passed voluntary assisted dying laws. NSW is debating laws at present with a special sitting on Friday to debate the matter.

Federal Attorney-General Michaelia Cash has already watered down hopes the ban will be overturned. She said last month the Commonwealth had no plans to repeal the Andrews Bill.

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