Widow says NT's new VAD laws will still leave people in 'cruel' situations
The widow of a man who died with a rare neurodegenerative disease says the Northern Territory's new voluntary assisted dying laws are "very weak" and will fail many who need them. She is calling for a 12-month prognosis requirement and a so-called gag clause on health professionals to be removed.
A widow has criticized the recently passed Northern Territory Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) laws as being "very weak" and insufficient to help those in distressing end-of-life situations. Carolyn Marriott, who lost her partner John Bhana to a rare neurodegenerative disease in 2015, argues that the new legislation will fail to assist individuals like her late husband.
The NT parliament recently passed the Rights of the Terminally Ill bill, which will legalize VAD in the Territory within 18 months. However, the bill includes conditions such as a 12-month prognosis and a "gag clause" prohibiting health professionals from initiating discussions about VAD. Carolyn contends that these requirements are overly stringent and would have disqualified her husband, who had no clear prognosis at the time of his diagnosis.
She also expresses her disagreement with the gag clause, stating that people should have the right to access information freely. Carolyn hopes that future patients facing similar diagnoses will be able to choose their preferred end-of-life options with proper guidance.
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