Bill ‘should not punish’ doctors
MP David Seymour is open to a change of his euthanasia bill, which would stop doctors who are conscientious objectors from being punished.
The End Of Life Choice Bill is currently before the justice select committee, after passing its first reading in 2017.
The member’s bill, sponsored by the ACT Party leader, would make it legal for those with a terminal illness or irremediable medical condition to choose assisted death – otherwise known as euthanasia.
Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners president Tim Malloy said the wording of the bill needed to be changed to ensure that medical practitioners were not obliged to take part in assisted suicide.
Currently, the bill says a doctor who had a conscientious objection to assisted dying is obligated to refer the patient to another doctor who is willing to participate in euthanasia.
A doctor who fails to do so would commit an offence punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 or three months’ jail.
‘‘This in and of itself seems a coercive way to get medical practitioners to be explicitly involved in euthanasia,’’ Malloy said.
By referring a patient, a medical practitioner might feel complicit in an act to which they were strongly opposed. ‘‘This may put undue strain on the medical practitioner,’’ he said in his submission on behalf of the college. ‘‘The college argues it is paramount that this wording is amended so medical practitioners cannot be obliged to take part in euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide.’’
Seymour said it was important for the select committee members to listen to the submissions of doctors and others, as their expertise could help better inform the bill. ‘‘But their personal opinions carry no more weight than a plumber’s.’’
The select committee process had raised some questions about current provisions in the proposed law. These issues had not been considered before but could add value, he said.
However, the majority of people submitting were those who felt strongly about the bill, and did not reflect the general view of New Zealand.