CLP fielding slew of amendments to VAD bill from its own backbenchers

MLAs brace for debate as CLP backbenchers flood NT government with voluntary assisted dying amendments In short: Several CLP backbenchers have proposed amendments to their party's voluntary assisted dying bill, days out from a conscience vote. Two members have proposed removing a gag clause for health workers and the requirement for a 12-month prognosis period. What's next? The bill to legalise voluntary assisted dying will be debated in NT parliament next week. The Northern Territory government is fielding a landslide of amendments to its Rights of the Terminally Ill bill from its own backbenchers, days out from a historic conscience vote on the matter. The bill, introduced by the Country Liberal Party (CLP) last month, would allow some terminally ill people to access voluntary assisted dying (VAD) to end their life, as is legal in all other states and territories. But VAD advocates have criticised the bill for requiring patients to have a 12-month end-of-life prognosis and for preventing health workers from starting conversations with patients about voluntary dying. Member for Fong Lim Tanzil Rahman is one of several CLP backbenchers planning to move amendments to the bill, saying there is wide-ranging recognition it should be changed. "There are people in my own party, from other parties, from across the community, who are all rallying behind the idea that we should get the VAD bill right the first time," he said. His amendments, released today, re-write the bill to remove the 12-month prognosis period and provide a more precise definition of someone with an "advanced" terminal illness. They also lift the gag clause on health workers initiating conversations about VAD with eligible patients, providing they also inform them of palliative care and treatment options. "What I've endeavoured to do is reflect the best practice standard across the country," Mr Rahman said. CLP Member for Fannie Bay Laurie Zio has also proposed her own amendments to the bill, which would remove the gag clause and the 12-month prognosis period. While the government has guaranteed it has the numbers to pass the bill in its current form, Ms Zio said she was far from confident any of the proposed amendments would succeed. "People will come to the table and decide on the day, given it is a conscience vote," she said. "I'm hoping people will come to the table on these two specific amendments, but there's no guarantee at all as to what will happen." The ABC understands Member for Drysdale Clinton Howe and Member for Karama Brian O'Gallagher will also move amendments to the bill. Pressure mounts behind-the-scenes As a raft of proposals appear from the backbench, CLP members are facing mounting pressure from behind the scenes to amend the bill. In early August, directors of the party's North Darwin and Trower branches wrote to Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro urging the removal of the prognosis period and gag clause. Among the letter's signatories were former member for Sanderson and current North Darwin branch chair Daryl Manzie and former member for Jingili Rick Setter. "Conservative legislation should not be measured by how restrictive it is, but by how effectively it balances individual liberty with appropriate protection," the letter read. "Legislation should remove unnecessary barriers to the exercise of lawful rights, not create them." While most CLP members not moving amendments have remained tight-lipped about the matter, Member for Blain Matthew Kerle has come out in support of the proposals. "If amendments are proposed that seek to remove the 12-month prognosis time limit and to remove the restrictions on doctors discussing VAD with patients, I will support those amendments," he said in a statement. Contrastingly, Member for Goyder Andrew Mackay has said his constituents seemed to support the inclusion of the gag clause. "Clause 16 represents an important safeguard in ensuring that the VAD process is entirely patient led and driven," he said in a statement. "The survey results I have received indicate my community support the retention of this clause." Moment of "maturity" on the cards Opposition and crossbench members have voiced broad support for any amendments that will make the bill less restrictive. "I will be supporting any amendments to make sure this bill actually reflects what the community wants," said independent member for Johnston Justine Davis. "We didn't get this far through people giving up and saying, 'We'll just accept what's there,'" she said. Acting Leader of the Opposition Ed Smelt said Territory Labor has their own amendments but are aligned in principle with Mr Rahman's proposal. "Our view has always been that we would not stand in the way of Territorians having access to voluntary assisted dying," he said. He said Labor would be looking at the gag clause, the prognosis timeframe and the role of faith-based centres in providing information to those interested. "We'll have a look at the final detail and we'll see how that aligns with our amendments, but I do stress this is a conscience vote for Labor members as well," he said. Labor member for Gwoja Chansey Paech has previously stated he will abstain from a vote around VAD. Any amendments to the bill will require the support of at least five more CLP members or Speaker of the House Robyn Lambley should the remaining Labor MLAs along with Ms Davis, Mr Rahman, Ms Zio and Ms Kerle support the same amendment. Mr Rahman, whose amendments were informed by his work on the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee report into VAD last year, said he remained hopeful. "It's not insignificant that three CLP members, a Labor member and a Green all unanimously agreed on the recommendations of that report, and that's not something that happens in the Territory parliament very often," he said. "I now hope desperately that our parliament will demonstrate maturity whilst using a conscience vote to work together."