As per The Guardian, Australia's territories have appealed to the Federal Government to pass a Bill restoring their rights to vote on and legislate Voluntary Assisted Dying.

Key points:

“It comes down to democratic rights and our human rights,” she said. “We’re being treated differently by virtue of living in a territory.”

If this bill passes federal parliament, it will not automatically legalise voluntary assisted dying in the territories. Those legislatures will need to pass their own legislation.

Territory leaders have unanimously urged their federal counterparts to pass a bill restoring their rights to make laws on voluntary assisted dying.

“Territorians know what is best for the Northern Territory,” the NT chief minister, Natasha Fyles, said.

"The territories minister, Kristy McBain, said last month the government would propose a private member’s bill “as soon as possible” to give back power to the Australian Capital Territory and the NT to make their own laws on euthanasia. The move will reverse a 25-year ban on the territories enacting such legislation which began in 1997 after the Howard government – championed by Liberal MP Kevin Andrews – overturned the NT’s 1995 legislation on the matter."

Liberal senator David Van said he was still considering the issue and wanted to see the final detail of Labor’s bill but indicated open mind.

“Would I vote for voluntary assisted dying? No,” he said. “But I see the job of government as getting out of people’s lives to the extent they possibly can, so I’m sympathetic to the fact that this is people’s choice.”

For more information, read The Guardian article here.

Wherever you live in Queensland, please write to your Federal MP to urge him or her to back the Bill to support Territory Rights.

Click here for your Federal electorate, your Federal MP’s name and their email address. 

All Federal MPs will cast a vote and they need to hear from their constituents. We need the majority of Australians who support equal rights to make their views known. 

When you write to your Federal MP, please tell them: 

• that you want them to support the Territories rights to make their own laws
• that this inequality between the States and the Territories has gone on for far too long

Please only email your own MP. Address your MP by their name. Be courteous. Tell them that you are one of their constituents and tell them your name and home address or they will ignore your email. 

It's important that your email is sent to your Federal MP ASAP.