Voluntary Assisted Dying Inquiry, Indigenous Australians, consultation tour, remote areas, data collection, oral evidence, written submissions, hearings, final report forthcoming.
Dr RAHMAN (Chair of Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee)(by leave): Madam Speaker, I table the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee report, Voluntary Assisted Dying in the Northern Territory Second Interim Report, and associated minutes of proceedings.
Voluntary assisted dying (VAD) is a difficult, sensitive and challenging subject to discuss for many people, including Indigenous Australians. It was with some trepidation, therefore, that the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee embarked on a consultation tour across the Northern Territory in August 2025 to gather views, particularly in remote areas, on the possible introduction of VAD legislation in this jurisdiction.
I am pleased to report that over the last month our efforts to learn from and share information with Territorians have been undoubtedly fruitful and successful. Hundreds of witnesses took the time to express their views and provide detailed testimony. Oral evidence in tandem with the hundreds more written submissions we have received will help to inform our forthcoming final report which will substantively deal with the evaluation of VAD models with safeguards, challenges and potential delivery in the Northern Territory.
In the intervening period I am proud to present this second interim report on VAD in the Northern Territory to the Legislative Assembly and the public at large as testament to the excellent data collection undertaken by LCAC pursuant to the VAD inquiry terms of reference. In doing so, I express my sincere gratitude to my fellow committee members and the committee secretariat for their collegiality, cooperation and commitment to conducting this inquiry with rigour. Moreover, I thank the many hundreds of Territorians across dozens of locations who have contributed to this process to date. It has been a privilege to hear from all of them.
We trust that the report we have tabled will be of continued assistance to interested parties and we look forward to tendering subsequent work in due course.
I move that the report be noted.
Motion agreed to; report noted.