English’s euthanasia warning
The husband of Lecretia Seales has asked parliamentarians to restrict legalised euthanasia to cases of terminal illness.
Matt Vickers, who stood by his dying wife as she sought a legal means to end her life, appeared in support of the End of Life Choice Bill at Parliament’s Justice Select Committee yesterday.
Also there were former Prime Minister Sir Bill English and wife Dr Mary English, who both derided the bill as too permissive and lacking consequence.
‘‘This is a good bill, this is a just bill, this is a safe bill, but with some small adjustments it can be made safer,’’ Vickers told MPs.
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.
A person choosing to die would have to undergo an assessment by two doctors and potentially a psychiatrist or psychologist.
Vickers asked MPs to put themselves in the shoes of his wife, who was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour.
‘‘The doctors are unable to predict how the illness might progress, they are unable to guarantee you won’t feel pain, they are unable to guarantee that you won’t go blind.
‘‘You find yourself in palliative care, and you don’t know if your death will be painless and quick, or horrendous.’’
Seales was denied an assisted death by the High Court in 2015, in a ruling which determined palliative care ‘‘cannot necessarily provide relief from suffering in all cases’’ and the medical profession was divided on the issue.
Seales died the day the judgement was made public, June 5, 2015.
Vickers recommended assisted death be restricted to those with terminal illness which was likely to end their life within six months, and the bill explicitly exclude physical disability and mental illness as allowing for assisted death.
Such a restriction ought to quell concern about the legislation being a ‘‘slippery slope’’ and bring it into line with the most conservative of similar laws abroad, he said
Vickers said the former Prime Minister’s view ignored how the bill interacts with the Crimes Act.
‘‘This bill is very different to the laws, that we’ve seen in other legalised countries.
‘‘Stepping outside the bounds of the process will put the medical professional at risk of prosecution of murder.’’
English, who opposed the bill as a National MP, said the bill was too broad, had a ‘‘ridiculous’’ test of consent, and lacked consequences if breached.
‘‘Safeguards mean nothing if there are no consequences. And in this bill, there are no consequences.’’
The bill created an exemption from the criminal act of killing for medical professionals, he said. Any assisted deaths would escape legal scrutiny, as it would not be possible to ‘‘break open’’ a disputed cases after a person had already been killed.
‘‘If that’s your mother, you might be concerned about that. If that’s your 18-year-old, you might be concerned about that.
‘‘I’ve got an 18-year-old, and I can tell you if there’s any suggestion of unlawful killing of that young man, even by his own wish, I’d want that open to full legal scrutiny.’’
He said the legal standard applied to other agreements – property deals and wills – was higher than the bill currently allowed.
‘‘It would have to be drastically different, even to achieve what the proponents want.’’
Dr Mary English, who has worked as a general practitioner for 28 years, said there would not be a street in New Zealand without someone who could have a grievous or untreatable medical condition.
‘‘Every healthcare professional in the country had better be on notice that they need to understand the bill.’’
In her 28 years as a general practitioner, Mary English had treated many patients concerned about being a burden to their family.
She said evidence of rising elder abuse, often for financial reasons, highlighted the potential for people to be killed without consent.
The bill has received 35,000 written submissions – believed to be the most ever received by a select committee.
‘‘Safeguards mean nothing if there are no consequences. And in this bill, there are no consequences.’’
Bill English
‘‘Stepping outside the bounds of the process will put the medical professional at risk of prosecution of murder.’’
Matt Vickers