National

Labor keeps voluntary assisted dying services offline

By Noah Secomb

Aug 11, 2026

vad — Doctors are prevented from providing euthanasia services over the phone or via telehealth. -AAP Image

Australians seeking voluntary assisted dying care will have to keep travelling to in-person doctor visits after Labor shut down efforts to lift a ban on telehealth consultations.

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Under current laws outlawing online material that incites suicide, doctors are prevented from providing euthanasia services over the phone or via telehealth.

Medical practitioners face penalties of over $300,000 if they use a telephone, video conference or email to discuss voluntary assisted dying options, while prescriptions can't be emailed or texted to pharmacies or patients.

On Tuesday, Independent MP Kate Chaney introduced a motion in the lower house in a bid to amend the criminal code to remove penalties on doctors, which was subsequently defeated.

"Dying patients often have to travel hundreds of kilometres to receive the care that they need and deserve, often in distress, often in pain," Ms Chaney told parliament.

"It means that sometimes they die before they can access the end-of-life care that they want."

Independent MP Monique Ryan seconded the motion, urging the parliament "to right a longstanding wrong".

It follows the Labor National Conference in July which saw the party's delegates agree that expanding telehealth options for voluntary assisted dying should be a conscience vote.

But cabinet ministers, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, raised concerns it could open up misuse of the telehealth system.

Health Minister Mark Butler echoed concerns about using voluntary assisted dying services via the telehealth system.

"There are case after case after case about that,'' Mr Butler said on Tuesday.

"I am not convinced that the current telehealth arrangements are particularly well suited to VAD right now."

Ms Chaney later told reporters the minister's concerns misunderstood the way assisted euthanasia works in Australia Â by comparing it to things like cannabis prescriptions.

"There's no money in it for a start, so I don't think we're not going to see VAD telehealth practitioners popping up all over the place. It's just not a business model that would work."

Mr Butler said Labor was not in a position to support the measure and asserted the party was ultimately responsible for how it will apply its own national platform.