View from The Hill: government shuts down telehealth-for-VAD bill, defying Labor conference

The government has blocked a crossbench attempt to allow telehealth to be used in voluntary assisted dying care – despite strong support for the measure at last month’s Labor national conference. Health Minister Mark Butler told parliament the safeguards around telehealth weren’t adequate. But Butler is in an awkward position, having to reverse his stance of only a few years ago. In 2022, shortly after the election Butler was asked about then attorney-general Mark Dreyfus proposing such a…