Rex Patrick (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I just rise to make a short contribution to this debate. I will, in opening, simply state that I do support euthanasia. This bill, the Ensuring Northern Territory Rights Bill 2021, is not about that, however. This bill is about how responsible systems of government work. In a responsible system of government, we have the government responsible to the parliament, which is responsible to the people. So it's not really a matter for me to decide how laws are passed in the ACT or the Northern Territory; that is a matter for the parliaments of the Northern Territory and of the ACT. It's not for Senator Smith to decide what the laws are in the Northern Territory. It's not for Senator O'Sullivan to decide what the laws are in the ACT. It's not for Senator Waters to decide what the laws are in the ACT or the Northern Territory, because she's not responsible to that electorate. The principle ought to be that those who legislate, who pass laws that affect the conduct and the rights of people, are responsible to those people, and, ultimately, those people can rid themselves of that member if they don't like the way in which they vote. So it is pretty important that we understand that that is what this is about. This is about proper systems of government, where we hand responsibility to the parliaments that are actually voted in by their respective people.

I do hope this does come to a debate, because, in some sense, it is a proxy for euthanasia. I can't imagine why anyone would vote against allowing a parliament of a state to set their own laws unless they had a feeling that they didn't like those laws.

I just note that, in this chamber in the last week or so, we've had a number of coalition MPs crossing the floor to vote for choice. One would hope that, if this does come to a vote, some of those people who were voting for choice would also vote to allow choice in the Northern Territory and in the ACT. Under responsible systems of government, we should let the parliaments of the ACT and the Northern Territory pass laws that relate to their people. I seek leave to continue my remarks later.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.