Labor frontbencher Katy Gallagher has recommitted the Albanese government to bringing the restoration of territory rights to a Senate vote before the end of the year, as ACT crossbencher David Pocock raised concerns the "best chance" to upend the 25-year-old ban was "about to slip away".
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The upper house debate for the first conscience vote of the 47th Parliament is not complete and intense lobbying is under way for a bill to repeal the 1997 Andrews law which stops the ACT and Northern Territory from debating and passing voluntary assisted dying laws.
Labor has a commitment to put territory rights to a final vote before Parliament is expected to rise on December 1. There are only eight sitting days scheduled for the rest of 2022 and there are competing legislative priorities for the government to be sorted by year's end.
Restoring territory rights was a top election focus for Senator Pocock. While Senator Gallagher described the current state of play as being the "best shot we've had", Mr Pocock was uneasy.
"I am increasingly concerned that our best chance of righting this quarter-century-long injustice is about to slip away," he told The Canberra Times.
"This is an issue that is important to the people of the ACT and Northern Territory, who have been tirelessly advocating for over two decades for the territories to be able to make their own decisions on voluntary assisted dying."
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Prime among the competing priorities in the Senate for the rest of the year is the legislation to create a National Anti-Corruption Commission, as well as the government's push to pass the omnibus Secure Jobs, Better Pay legislation, the establishment of the Housing Australia Future Fund, the High Speed Rail Authority Bill, the electric vehicles discount, and the bill to incentivise pensioners to downsize to free up housing stock.
The law passed 25 years ago was brought in to stop a world-first voluntary euthanasia regime in the NT, but if the current repeal bill is passed, the territories would now join every Australian state in having voluntary avenues for the terminally ill.
There has been a quiet, controlled campaign to focus on territory rights as a matter of democracy rather than one of life or death, although there are some terminally ill people in the ACT and the NT who want senators to know they are running out of time.
"Currently, we have lobbyists sending letters and wandering the halls of Parliament, telling senators to vote against restoring the rights of territories," Senator Pocock said.
"Every day the vote is delayed gives lobbyists more time to reach more senators and attempt to sway the vote.
Advocates of the restoration are quietly confident, but it is understood an argument about whether the ACT and NT should pursue statehood if they want such rights is having some traction.
There are six more senators on the list to speak on territory rights and that will be it for the bill's second reading debate. There may be further opportunities to speak on the bill before a vote.
As an ACT representative and the manager of government business in the Senate, Senator Gallagher is on Monday recommitting to the government pledge to prioritise territory rights in 2022.
"I've been fighting on this issue for more than a decade now, and we will be sticking to our commitment to vote on this bill, once and for all, before the parliament rises in December," she said in a statement.
"Territory residents are counting on us to deliver and I'll work hard to see these unfair laws repealed."
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Territory rights has the vocal support of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and it had the very low-key "yes" vote in the House by the Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.
It is notable Liberal Senator Jane Hume has come out in favour of territory rights. It is also significant Labor Senator Pat Dodson will now abstain when it comes to a vote.
Senators against the restoration of territory rights include Labor senator Deborah O'Neill, Liberal senator Jonathan Duniam and Nationals senator Matt Canavan.
The Canberra Times has been calling for a repeal of the Andrews bill as part of its Our Right to Decide campaign.