Media Release 31 August 2024
Right to Life questions the integrity of the ACT Party as a coalition partner in upholding our Parliamentary democracy.
Right to Life believes that the decision of Todd Stephenson MP, a member of the ACT caucus to imminently draft a Private Member’s bill to amend the End of Life Choice Act 2019, presumably with the blessing of David Seymour, before the government review of the Act is completed in November 2024, is an affront to our Parliamentary democracy. The probable rejection of a referendum is also an affront to the community.
The Assisted Dying Secretariat in the Ministry of Health is currently conducting a review of the Act. The public are encouraged to make submissions online to the Ministry until 26th September 2024, on what changes they may wish Parliament to make to this legislation. The Ministry will report on the review to the Minister of Health, who will then report back to Parliament. At this point Members will be invited to submit Private Member’s bills.
Right to Life believes that it is inappropriate for ACT to undermine this important review, by not waiting for the completion of public submissions, before submitting a Private Member’s bill to Parliament.
Right to Life believes that the leader of ACT, David Seymour, architect of this dangerous and contentious legislation, is determined to coerce Parliament into amending the legislation to permit care being withdrawn from an increasing number of vulnerable patients who will be eligible to receive a lethal injection or assisted in suicide, in a hospital, hospice or retirement home.
David Seymour claims to be a champion of free speech. He was reported in the NZ Herald on 8th April 2023, as saying,” I could go on but, suffice to say, free speech matters, it is the foundation of a free society, alongside the rule of law it depends on.” By allowing the drafting of a private members bill and ignoring the submissions of the community, he is not promoting free speech.
David Seymour is continuing to promote the acceptance of doctors ceasing to care for their patients. Instead, he promotes the killing of their patients with a lethal injection or assisting in their suicide under the guise that it is “the right to choose”.
We know and he also knows well that this is but the prelude to acceptance of a duty to die. Because the reality is that it is cheaper to kill patients than to care for them.
Ask 45 year old Roger Foley in Ontario, Canada, who has a painful incurable neurological disease. He wants to live and live alone and is being denied the care he needs and wants.
Right to Life believes that he is being pressured to accept euthanasia, Medical Aid in Dying, because the medical authorities believe that he has a duty to die.
Ken Orr,
Spokesperson,
Right to Life New Zealand Inc.