It's grossly unfair for Canberrans to have different rights from Queanbeyan residents

It will mean that about 25 million Australians have voluntary assisted dying as an option. As a resident of Queanbeyan, I am one of those 25 million.

While it is unthinkable I would be in a situation where I would need voluntary assisted dying, particularly at this stage in my life, it does bring me comfort to know I would have the option.

But it doesn't bring me comfort to know the people I spend most of my days advocating for do not even have the opportunity for it to be an option.

Those people are the people of Canberra.

As an ACT politics reporter for The Canberra Times, day-in and day-out it is my responsibility to shine a spotlight on the territory government issues affecting Canberrans.

As part of my job, I have been closely involved with The Canberra Times' Right to Decide campaign. The campaign, which has been running for the better part of the past year, has called on the Federal Parliament to overturn its ban on the territories' right to legislate on voluntary assisted dying.

On the day the campaign was launched, The Canberra Times editorial said: "There may come a time, in the not too distant future, when the Queanbeyan resident sitting beside you in the office has a right which you, a Canberran, does not."

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Well, that time has now come.

It is completely unfair all Australian states have been allowed to debate this legislation but the territories are unable to do so.

It is completely undemocratic and it frankly positions territorians as second-class citizens.

It is an absurd situation that almost 700,000 Australians are not entitled to this right.

So while it brings me comfort that voluntary assisted dying has passed the NSW Parliament, it still feels grossly unfair - particularly on a personal level.

The territories ban affects the vast majority of my colleagues, many of my friends and family members.

I only have the option because I live about a couple of hundred metres away from an imaginary line dividing the ACT and NSW.

There will be a federal election this weekend. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed the Coalition would not seek to overturn the ban. Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese supports territory rights but would not commit to making it a priority on Thursday.

But perhaps the leaders need to think about and look at the divide which has now been cemented between citizens of this country.

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