Labor pressured to allow telehealth for euthanasia, but PM insists on face-to-face

However, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed reservations, stating his belief that VAD should involve face-to-face recognition and engagement, not telehealth. He voiced concerns about the potential for misuse and the undermining of the VAD system's safeguards, likening it to the necessity of in-person medical care for acute conditions.

Despite the Prime Minister's stance, the ALP platform change suggests MPs may have a conscience vote on the issue. Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has indicated she will move quickly to introduce a private members' bill to force the government's hand. Curtin MP Kate Chaney also plans to reintroduce her own bill, aiming to provide equitable access for people in regional areas and those with limited mobility, who currently face travel burdens.

Advocates and doctors have long argued that the current ban on telehealth for VAD disproportionately affects patients in rural areas and those with conditions that restrict movement. Health professionals currently risk significant fines, up to $300,000, under the federal Criminal Code Act for using telecommunications services to incite or encourage suicide, which can encompass many aspects of the VAD process.