VCs of Uni Canberra and Charles Darwin U urge the Commonwealth Parliament to pass legislation which would allow the ACT and NT to have their own laws on euthanasia

Labor MPs for Northern Territory and ACT seats are expected to sponsor a bill.

The territories are subject to the Commonwealth and are prevented by a Howard Government law that overturned Northern Territory right to die legislation, in the 1990s.

In a joint statement Friday Uni Canberra VC Paddy Nixon and Scott Bowman, VC of Darwin based Charles Darwin U urge the Commonwealth Parliament to legislate to allow the territories to make their own laws,  calling the existing situation a “long standing blight on Australian democracy.”

The two universities are established under legislation of their respective territories.

“ It is not our usual practice to speak out on legislation before the Parliament, but this legislation is critical.” Professor Nixon says.

“Our inability to consider and pass legislation is out of line with the rights of all other Australians, and it is unconscionable that Territorians exist in a less democratic form of government, CDU’s Scott Bowman adds.