WHITHER TO NT

There is a constant whinge in the Northern Territory about us not having the same rights and entitlements in legislating terms as the rest of Australia. The truth be known, the Territory is still growing up and some of the decisions that have been made are well wide of the mark.

That was NOT the case with our enlightened ‘right to die’ legislation of 1997. In my opinion that should have never been overturned by the Australian Parliament.

However in many respects we have acted injudiciously and even rashly at times.

It was probably fortuitous that in 1999, Territorians voted down the referendum seeking us to endorse the proposition that we push for statehood. We were not ready then and many would argue we are not ready now.