Voluntary assisted dying restrictions now 'redundant'

Voluntary assisted dying (VAD) laws once aimed at preventing interstate access are now considered redundant, according to Andrew Denton, founder of advocacy group Go Gentle Australia. Speaking at the National Press Club, Denton called for measures restricting VAD to be scrapped, emphasizing that the barriers are no longer necessary.

Despite all states and territories now allowing euthanasia, Denton argues that policies originally designed to stop people moving to jurisdictions where VAD was legal still hinder access. He particularly points to a ban on telehealth services, which he says disproportionately affects rural and remote Australians who cannot travel for multiple consultations.

Denton hopes to see the ban on telehealth services lifted, as well as outdated elements of the laws that have become barriers to accessing VAD. He also criticizes the stigma surrounding VAD, which he believes stems from the medical profession, and the potential for objecting doctors to obstruct patients' access to services.