Voluntary Assisted Dying Inquiry, challenging questions, progress towards resolution, work to date, forthcoming plans, keeping Territorians informed.
Dr RAHMAN (Chair of Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee): Madam Speaker, I table the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee report, Voluntary Assisted Dying in the Northern Territory – First Interim Report, and associated minutes of proceedings.
Voluntary assisted dying is a complex issue that raises difficult and challenging questions for individuals, groups and society as a whole. What is clear, though, is that it remains an unresolved subject matter in the Northern Territory and a matter of significant interest for Territorians. With that in mind, the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee is pleased to have the opportunity to progress resolution of the issue in our polity.
I am pleased, as Chair of the committee, to present this first interim report on VAD in the Northern Territory to the Legislative Assembly and the public at large as testament to the work undertaken to date by the committee to address the VAD inquiry terms of reference provided to us by the Attorney-General. The committee has been working cooperatively and constructively, ably assisted by the secretariat to produce this document and ancillary materials in a timely fashion.
We remain committed to engaging with the issues at hand systematically and fairly and communicating our work regularly to keep Territorians abreast of our progress.
We trust the report will be of assistance to interested parties.
Madam Speaker, I move that the report be noted.
Motion agreed to; report noted.