Opened the debate
The senator argued that the bill addresses health inequity by allowing doctors to use telehealth for voluntary assisted dying assessments. Hanson-Young stated that existing Criminal Code provisions, designed to prevent online suicide encouragement, inadvertently criminalise legitimate medical consultations via phone or video. Hanson-Young contended that this creates a two-tier system where rural residents and those with declining mobility are denied access to care available to city dwellers. The senator clarified that the proposal respects state jurisdiction over voluntary assisted dying safeguards and does not alter those protections. Hanson-Young urged colleagues to support the amendment to ensure all Australians receive dignified end-of-life care regardless of location.