Northern Territory Shadow Attorney-General Chansey Paech has broken ranks with his Labor colleagues, announcing he will abstain from voting on the Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) bill.
Mr Paech - who represents the vast and remote electorate of Gwoja - told Parliament on Tuesday that while he personally supported the bill, he was speaking "not as an individual but as the elected representative of the people of Gwoja".
"My duty in this Chamber is to speak for my constituents, to represent the voices of the bush and make decisions with their wellbeing and cultural values at heart," he said.
Mr Paech said he believed "people should have the right to choose when they leave this world," but after speaking with people across Gwoja, he found many in the communities held "mixed, complex and deeply emotional" views about VAD.
"Many people have expressed support for the idea that individuals should have a say over their own health and end-of-life choices," he said.
"Many have also told me that this concept of voluntary assisted dying is difficult to translate and even hard to understand in a cultural context. For many of our mob in the bush, it is not just about language, it is about a worldview.
"This idea does not easily fit within our cultural ways of understanding life, death and the role of family and kinship. If not communicated carefully and respectfully, it risks causing distress and confusion and, in some cases, could even create cultural and community unrest."
Labor Leader Selena Uibo has come out in full support of VAD, developing a private member's bill - a move criticised by the Chief Minister. Labor MPs Dheran Young and Manuel Brown have also confirmed they will vote in favour.
Ms Uibo has urged the government to work with Labor rather than "waste more time" developing separate legislation.
Mr Paech said that while there was "an understanding of personal choice," there "remains a deep concern, anxiety and uncertainty about what voluntary assisted dying would mean in practice for remote communities".
"At this stage, we have no clear model for how it would operate in these regions. We cannot yet answer fundamental questions such as, where would it be accessible, who would be eligible, what the safeguards and approvals are, how family, elders and kinship structures would be included, and who determines the next of kin," he told Parliament.
"These are not small details; they are central to ensuring this process, if introduced, is safe, fair and culturally respectful."
The Northern Territory remains the only Australian jurisdiction without VAD laws. A Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee (LCAC) report delivered in late September recommended the Territory adopt VAD and included drafting instructions for legislation.
Ms Uibo's proposed bill is considered by some to be more conservative than the model recommended by the committee.
