David Seymour MP
8th August 2020
Dear Mr Seymour,
While we fully support your desire for an informed debate on the referendum on euthanasia we believe that there is still considerable misunderstanding of the administration of the End of Life Choice Act (EOLCA).
We believe that it would be in the public interest if you were to make a public statement clarifying for the public that the EOLCA does not provide for turning off life support, does not include CPR requests and does not provide for stopping medical treatment which are already acceptable and legal. We also request that you ask the Minister of Justice to include this important information on the government referendum web site. I would be grateful if you would kindly advise me of your response to my request.
A poll conducted in New Zealand between 31 October and 6 November 2019 by Curia Marketing on behalf of Euthanasia Free New Zealand revealed the following disturbing findings on what the End of Life Choice Bill would provide.
- 74% thought that it included turning off life support.
- 70% thought it includes ‘do not resuscitate’ (no CPR) requests.
In a Curia poll conducted for Euthanasia Free in 2017 it found that;
67% thought “assisted dying” includes the stopping of medical tests, treatments and surgeries.
The End of Life Choice Act is NOT about, nor does it make legal the action of turning off life support, nor making a ‘do not resuscitate request (no CPR) nor to stop taking medical treatment. All of these end of life choice are already legal, are not euthanasia and this new law, if passed will not change these actions.
The End of Life Choice Act is NOT about pain relief. It’s already legal for a doctor to give a person enough medication to address their pain and make them comfortable, even if this may hasten their death as a side effect. In these situations the doctor seeks to neither hasten or cause the death of his patient.
The above polls clearly demonstrate that the public is not yet aware of the content meaning or implications of the End of Life Choice Act. We believe that in order to have a fully informed public referendum on this critical issue of allowing doctors to give patients a lethal injection or to assist in their suicide it is essential that the above information be included on the government Referendum website.
Yours sincerely,
Ken Orr
Secretary,
Right to Life
Authorised by Paul Ives, 22C McBrattneys Rd, Dallington, Christchurch 8061