The Euthanasia Debate
Last week the Prime Minister stated that he believed that “euthanasia is already happening in our hospitals.” Doctors in New Zealand were quick to say that it isn’t. Like the Prime Minister, many people may be confused about what euthanasia really is. The very simple facts follow.
What is euthanasia?
Euthanasia is the intentional act of killing someone. In other words, a decision is made to give a patient a lethal injection or administer another form of drug in order to end their life. This is currently illegal in New Zealand.
What is not euthanasia?
Euthanasia is not:
- a patient rejecting treatment, medicine or medical procedures
- the withdrawal of life sustaining nutrition or artificial respiration at the request of someone nominated by a patient to make that decision
- following a “do not resuscitate” directive from a patient
- following an “end of life directive” written by a patient while he or she was of sound mind which directs that no excessive measures be taken to keep them alive as the end of their life approaches
All of these measures are currently legal in New Zealand.
Why are some people advocating the legalisation of euthanasia and physician assisted suicide?
Some people wish to be able to end their lives at a time and place of their deciding. Others wish to be sure that they will be able to end what they might feel is unbearable pain as a result of their illness. In some cases, people know that their illness will prevent them from committing suicide at the time that they decide that they would like to die and so they would like legal protection for the friend or family member that they have asked to kill them or better yet, have their doctor kill them.
What is happening in New Zealand at the moment?
Labour MP Maryann Street has submitted a bill called the “End of Life Choices” bill to the Private Members Ballot. This bill seeks to legalise euthanasia and physician assisted suicide in New Zealand. When this comes up for the vote it will be a conscience vote, in other words MPs will not have to vote on party lines, but according to their own conscience.
Why must this bill be defeated?
Ms Street claims that her bill has safeguards in it to prevent it from being abused. This means that she believes that people will only be killed at their explicit request and with their consent. The facts from the Netherlands, which has had legalised euthanasia since 2002, show that no matter how many safeguards are put in place this makes no difference. In the Netherlands doctors may only kill patients at their request and are obliged to report all such deaths to the state.
The long awaited 2010 nationwide examination of the euthanasia law in the Netherlands was published in the Lancet on July 11, 2012. The study found that in 2010 the number of people who were killed without consent or explicit request stood at 300. This is abuse of a law legalising euthanasia. 300 people. Do you want to be one of them? If for no other reason, and there are many, this is one reason this bill must be defeated. 300 people died in the Netherlands and no one will answer for their deaths because they are protected by the law legalising euthanasia. Would you really like to live in New Zealand with a law that could allow that to happen to you, your spouse, your parent or child?