VADANZ has written to the Commonwealth Attorney-General raising serious concerns about recent departmental correspondence to members of the public regarding the interaction between the Criminal Code and state and territory voluntary assisted dying laws.
The letter asks the Attorney-General to withdraw wording that VADANZ believes misrepresents voluntary assisted dying care, unfairly characterises VAD health professionals, and risks further entrenching stigma around legally available end-of-life care.
VADANZ also reiterates its concern that the Commonwealth restrictions on the use of carriage services, including telehealth, continue to create unnecessary barriers for terminally ill people seeking access to VAD, particularly where in-person care is difficult or not feasible.
