Territory Rights = Restored

Our Restoring Territory Rights Bill has just passed the Senate.

That means we’ve ended 25 years of discrimination against Canberrans.

And it means every Australian, regardless of whether they live in a state or territory, now has the same democratic rights.

For the last 25 years, Canberrans have been second-class citizens.

That’s because the Andrews Bill, passed under the Howard Government, banned the territories from debating laws related to voluntary assisted dying – something that every state has since debated and legislated.

Tonight we changed that and made democratic equality a reality.

It’s been a long journey getting to this point, and I know just how much this matters to so many Canberrans.

That’s why over a decade ago as Chief Minister I campaigned to see territory rights restored, and why from day one as your Senator I worked to get it done – supporting and co-sponsoring bills in 2015, 2016 and 2021.

And while those bills weren’t successful, the reason this one has passed comes down to the Prime Minister’s commitment last year to prioritise a vote on territory rights in the House of Representatives.

That commitment mattered, because before now, even if the Senate had passed a Territory Rights Bill, previous Coalition Government’s never allowed the issue to be debated in the House.

Fast forward to the first sitting fortnight of the new Parliament, we passed the Restoring Territory Rights Bill through the House, and in every week that followed I worked to build support across the Senate.

And now with tonight’s vote, territory rights have been restored, once and for all.

As Chief Minister I championed it, as your Senator I fought for it, and now with a Federal Labor Government, we’ve delivered it.

Katy Gallagher
Minister for Finance, Women and the Public Service
Senator for the ACT