Labor under pressure to allow telehealth access for euthanasia but PM says ‘it should be face-to-face’

Labor is facing renewed pressure to expand voluntary assisted dying access after last week's ALP national conference in Adelaide voted to change the party's platform, committing it to overturn a Howard-era law that bars telehealth consultations for euthanasia. The Greens and independent MP Kate Chaney now plan to introduce legislation on the issue, with campaigners arguing the current phone-and-video ban disproportionately affects people in regional Australia who can't easily reach an in-person appointment. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pushed back, saying such consultations should be face-to-face, setting up a fight over how far the policy shift will actually go.

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