Equality for Territorians
2 Dec 2022
The Restoring Territory Rights Bill was passed in the Senate 1 December 2022
The Restoring Territory Rights Bill was finally passed in the Senate and this now brings both Territories in line with the rest of Australia by allowing each Parliament to discuss and hopefully pass Voluntary Assisted Laws.
“This is a historic moment and brings the Territory in line with the rest of Australia,” said Sue Shearer, CEO of COTA NT. “Territorians were dismissed as second class citizens in 1997 when Kevin Andrews and the incumbent Federal Government passed amendments which disallowed the Territory’s Euthanasia Bill. While it has taken over 25 years, a great injustice has been overturned and autonomy has been returned to the Territory.
“It is now up to the Territory Government not to procrastinate and draft a bill to legislate the NT’s voluntary assisted dying laws. After all, Territorians have waited over 25 years for this day.
COTA NT has been lobbying for this result with online petitions, Parliamentary petitions and we wrote to all Senators requesting that they support the Territory Rights Legislation.
We thank the original Parliamentarian, who passed the NT’s Euthanasia Bill, Marshall Perron. He has lobbied long and hard to restore our rights for 25 years. We also thank Luke Gosling OAM, MP Member for Solomon who initially had the Private Member’s Bill for over two years and together with the ACT drafted the Territory Rights Bill which is now legislated.
####
Media contact:
Sue Shearer, CEO COTA NT 08 8941 1004
