Manison fights for euthanasia law right

ACTING Chief Minister Nicole Manison is backing a push to restore the Northern Territory’s right to legislate on euthanasia.

Ms Manison is at Labor’s federal conference where she is trying to win support for a motion brought by ACT chief minister Andrew Barr.

The motion would mean a federal Labor government would undertake a binding caucus vote on territories’ right to make assisted dying laws.

The motion is expected to fail thanks to opposition from powerful right wing and Catholic Labor figures including senators Pat Dodson and Don Farrell. The NT and ACT have been unable to legislate on eu- thanasia since the Andrews Bill overturned NT’s shortlived euthanasia laws. Four people died in the NT through assisted dying in the short window it was legal.

A private member’s Bill to restore territory rights from Senator David Leyonhjelm’s was narrowly defeated in the Senate 34-36 in August.