The Northern Territory government says it will introduce voluntary assisted dying (VAD) legislation to parliament this year, nearly three decades after the Commonwealth vetoed the NT’s world-first euthanasia legislation in 1997.
Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby said the NT government was now drafting legislation, with the bill to be introduced to parliament mid-2026.
“Legislating for the rights of the terminally ill is one of the most sensitive and complex reforms any government can undertake,” Ms Boothby said in a statement.
“We’re taking the time to get this right.”
NT Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby says the reforms will ‘not be supported by everyone’. (ABC News: Pete Garnish)
Ms Boothby said the legislation would be subject to a conscience vote, meaning party members could vote in line with their personal beliefs.
“We acknowledge these reforms will not be supported by everyone,” she said.
“This is a deeply personal issue, and people hold strong and differing views.”
Committee recommends NT government adopt VAD laws
In 1995, in a private bill put forward by then-chief minister Marshall Perron, the NT became the first place in the world to legalise VAD.
But in 1996, Federal MP Kevin Andrews introduced his own private members bill — passed in 1997 — which removed the NT and ACT’s ability to legalise VAD, effectively outlawing the practice in the territories.
In 2022, the federal parliament lifted the territory ban, with the NT now the last Australian jurisdiction to legalise VAD.
Eligibility and prognosis under consideration
A parliamentary inquiry commissioned by the NT government in 2025 recommended any future bill did not place restrictions on how long someone had to live before accessing VAD.
Australian states require applicants to have been given less than 6-12 months to live, with no time frame for access in ACT.
Ms Boothby said the NT would consider a “clear time frame linked to end-of-life” for eligibility criteria.
“That’s one of the areas that I feel strongly about as well,” she said.
“If we can bring a piece of legislation into parliament that is more broadly supported then it has a better chance of being successful.”
Ms Boothby said she would vote in favour of the bill.
“The more I look into this and the more recommendations that get put forward, it’s showing me Territorians do want to have the right to be terminally ill and end their life,” she said.
Former NT chief minister Marshall Perron, says the 1995 bill was passed on a concience vote. (ABC News: Rhiannon Shine)
Architect of the NT’s original VAD laws Mr Perron voiced concern about the inclusion of a time frame in the NT bill.
“The time frame has caused difficulties with people accessing the law,” he said.
“People have died before being able to fulfil the criteria that has been mentioned, and eliminates quite a number of people from eligibility.”
A number of CLP backbenchers including Tanzil Rahman and Laurie Zio have declared their support for VAD, along with crossbenchers Justine Davis and Kat McNamara.
Labor Opposition Leader Selena Uibo and Shadow Health Minister Dheran Young have also voiced their support.
Shadow Attorney-General Chansey Paech told NT Parliament last year he would abstain from a vote, while many government ministers including Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro, have yet to make their personal views publicly known.
