Woman fears spread of misinformation
Susan Austen had a woman sobbing on her shoulder when her hopes of death were dashed.
The woman was distraught because ‘‘hero’’ ACT MP David Seymour’s End of Life Choice Bill had been watered down to mean that only those facing terminal illnesses will be eligible for voluntary euthanasia. The woman, with a condition that will leave her with an unbearable, but not terminal, illness does not plan to die yet but had just found out she would not have the option of a chosen death.
Austen, in her late 60s, became an unlikely criminal in 2016 when a police sting led to a trial in 2018 where she pleaded guilty to two charges of importing the drug pentobarbitone.
It was at her home in the hills above Hutt Valley that an Exit International meeting was held and the attendees – mostly older women – were stopped in a police operation after they left. It later transpired police had bugged the meeting.
Now Austen has a new battle: Misinformation. She believes there was already a lot of scaremongering around what the bill meant. Already people believed the elderly would be able to be euthanased simply for their age, or the disabled killed simply for their disabilities. Wrong, on both counts, Austen said.
Even those in intolerable pain – assuming it was not terminal – would not get the option, she said.
‘‘I fear people who are elderly and disabled are being fed these thoughts and it may frighten them.’’
‘‘Doctors are going to be so diligent to make sure the law is not abused ... doctors are not easily hoodwinked into making decisions.’’
Susan Austen
It was only for those with a terminal diagnosis, Austen said. ‘‘Doctors are going to be so diligent to make sure the law is not abused . . . doctors are not easily hoodwinked into making decisions.’’
Polls showed most New Zealanders supported voluntary euthanasia but Austen believed that – assuming there was a referendum – a campaign would mobilise against it with church money bank-rolling the anti-euthanasia campaign.