The Northern Territory Attorney-General, Marie-Clare Boothby has outlined further details about the CLP’s proposed Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) bill that will be introduced mid-2026. The CLP’s bill will include two additional safeguards, deviating from the inquiry’s recommendations. The Australian Christian Lobby has labelled the additional safeguards as sensible.
The Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee (LCAC) made 86 recommendations after completing their inquiry in 2025. The Australian Christian Lobby labelled LCAC’s recommendations at that time ‘the most extreme VAD laws in the country.’
The Attorney-General has now confirmed they would deviate from LCAC’s recommendations in eligibility and patient led discussions.
Eligibility
- Eligibility will be limited to adults with a condition that is advanced, progressive and expected to cause death within 12 months.
Patient led discussions
- The process will be strictly patient-led, prohibiting practitioners from initiating discussions about assisted dying. This recognises that patients facing end-of-life decisions may be particularly susceptible to influence, even where no coercion is intended. The initiation of a discussion by a practitioner may, by its very nature, shape a patient’s perceptions or choices in subtle and unintended ways.
LCAC’s recommendations included no timeframe for eligibility and that discussions could be health-professional lead.
Nicholas Lay, NT Director of the Australian Christian Lobby said, “We welcome the CLP’s departure from LCAC’s recommendations around eligibility and patient led discussions, these are sensible safeguards.”
“The timeframe requirement ensures that the people accessing VAD are more likely to be end of life. The timeframe creates a clear line in the sand about who can access this.”
“Patient led discussions are so important to avoid coercion of the old and vulnerable. People wanting to access VAD need to be mentally fit and able to self-advocate, this helps ensure that it is their genuine wish. Having health professionals bring this subject up as a genuine healthcare pathway when a patient is seeking medical help, is just plainly wrong.”
“VAD should be seen as an alternative to normal healthcare, not part of normal healthcare.”
“The CLP’s departure from LCAC’s recommendations is sensible and will help prevent coercion and elder abuse.”
“While these additions are sensible, we will continue to lobby the individual MLA’s to vote against any bill tabled in Parliament, as any bill will be disastrous to the Territory.”
Media contact: Nicholas Lay | m: 0431 908 034 | e: [email protected]
