Australia’s governing Labor Party has voted to support the removal of federal legal barriers preventing euthanasia consultations from taking place by telephone or video call, while also changing its constitution to allow MPs a conscience vote on future voluntary assisted dying legislation.
The measures were approved at the Australian Labor Party’s national conference in Adelaide on Friday.
Delegates backed an amendment committing the party to repeal a 30-year-old provision in the federal criminal code that effectively prevents doctors from using telehealth to discuss voluntary assisted dying with patients, despite euthanasia being legal in most Australian states.
