Poor form by PM

On national radio on Monday Prime Minister Bill English said that he did not know what neoliberal economics were.

He is said to have studied economics so if he was economically competent he should know.

Whatever you like to call the policies of minimising public services, deregulation, privatising, and corporate support, if economics was a science and not a religion then each of these theories would be exposed as a theory failure. Many people are paying the cost of these failed theories.

This is a turning point and for the sake of humanity we need to turn away from these failed economic theories. Euthanasia would remove the one shred of dignity left to those who need the most personal and intimate care, which is that they cannot help their condition.’’

Then there’s the following quote from Mother Teresa:

"Suffering is not a punishment, not a fruit of sin. It is a gift of God. He allows us to share in His suffering and to make up for the sins of the world." If glorifying in suffering isn’t sadism, we need a new definition.

One can’t help wondering how the organisation Right to Life manages to reconcile their emphasis on the ability of palliative care to greatly reduce suffering with the taking away of this wonderful ‘gift from God’.

Can we therefore look forward to Right to Life mounting a campaign against palliative care so that those suffering painful death should not be denied God’s gift?