Proposed law ‘beg and grovel’ euthanasia
A proposed law to allow voluntary death for the terminally ill has been labelled ‘‘beg and grovel’’ legislation by euthanasia pioneer Dr Philip Nitschke.
The first doctor to administer euthanasia, Nitschke is holding public talks and instructional workshops on the subject with his pro-euthanasia group Exit International this week.
Yesterday, about 30 members gathered in a meeting room behind St Andrew’s church in Wellington to discuss in detail how to end their lives.
Nitschke said all adults had a right to choose death and, as populations aged, there were increasingly compelling social reasons to want to die.
‘‘This idea of waiting around till you’re satisfying some very exhaustive and stringent requirements of levels of sickness, is going to be shown to be wanting.’’
Parliament is considering the End Of Life Choice bill, with the last of more than 3000 public oral submissions being heard on Monday. The bill would allow New Zealanders aged 18 and older who suffer from a terminal illness likely to end their life within six months, or a grievous and untreatable medical condition, to choose an assisted death.
‘‘That is a privilege granted, that is not a right . . . I call it the ‘beg and grovel’ legislation,’’ Nitschke said.
‘‘You have to go and see a panel of doctors and convince them you’re sick enough . . . that is . . . when you’re almost dead.’’
Nitschke said there should only be two criteria to permit euthanasia: if a person was an adult, so they could understand the permanence of death, and that they were of sound mind. ‘‘You don’t have to give a reason, it’s a right to have these drugs.’’
Exit International members have faced considerable scrutiny in recent years, with Wellington members stopped in a police breath-testing checkpoint after a meeting in 2016. That checkpoint was later deemed unjustified by the Independent Police Conduct Authority.
Wellington branch chairwoman Susan Austen was in May found guilty on two charges of importing pet euthanasia drug pentobarbitone, after being acquitted of aiding the suicide of another member, Annemarie Treadwell.