Labor backbenchers Alicia Payne and Luke Gosling have introduced their private members bill in the Federal Parliament, seeking to overturn a 25-year-old ban that prevents the ACT and Northern Territory parliaments from making their own assisted dying laws.
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Their legislation would repeal the John Howard-era Andrews bill, which quashed the NT's world-first assisted dying regime and prevented the territories from legislating on it in the future.
"In 2022 our democracy is not equal because some Australians don't have the right to debate a certain issue because of where they live," Ms Payne, the Canberra MP, said.
After numerous attempts to overturn the ban in the past two decades, the Payne-Gosling bill is seen to represent the best chance of ending a ban that critics argue has turned ACT and NT residents into "second-class citizens".
All states have passed assisted dying laws since Victoria become the first in 2017.
Mr Gosling said it was "well past time" for the assisted dying ban to end.
The Solomon MP has urged his colleagues not to treat the bill as a "vote by proxy" on assisted dying, stressing this was about the democratic rights of the territories.
"We are not legislating for that [voluntary assisted dying]," Mr Solomon, who personally opposes voluntary assisted dying, said.
"It is simply righting an old wrong and ensuring that all Australians have equal democratic rights."
While Labor will allow its members a conscience vote, the government has agreed to set aside time for the debate - as the now Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised ahead of the election.
Territory MPs are expected to make speeches on the bill on Monday, before debate resumes in parliament's federation chamber.
A vote in the House of Representatives is expected as soon as this week. Supporters are confident the numbers are there for the bill to pass through the lower house, although the vote is expected to be much tighter in the Senate.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Human Rights Minister Tara Cheyne were seated in the public gallery when the bill was introduced, just after 10am on Monday.
The Canberra Times has reported advocacy groups on both sides of the debate are stepping up their lobbying efforts as a vote nears.
The Catholic Archbishop of Canberra and Goulburn Christopher Prowse last week wrote to all MPs and Senators, urging them to oppose a bill, which he said would amount to the Commonwealth sanctioning the killing of its own citizens.
MORE TERRITORY RIGHTS COVERAGE
The Canberra Times has for the past year been calling for the Andrews bill to be repealed as part of its Our Right to Decide campaign.
More to come
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
