Referendums require balanced information
AUCKLAND: Official and independent information must be given to the public if they are going to make a proper decision on euthanasia, an expert on assisted dying says.
Politicians on Wednesday voted to put Act New Zealand leader David Seymour’s contentious End of Life Choice Bill to a referendum at next year’s election.
It would be held alongside a separate plebiscite on legalising recreational cannabis.
The euthanasia legislation still has to clear a thirdandfinal reading next month, but that looks fairly likely, meaning there will soon be public campaigns on both sides of the debate.
University of Victoria research fellow Jessica Young led a study looking at the polling of attitudes towards euthanasia over the past two decades and says sentiment has been consistently in favour over that time.
Since 2002, support in every poll about assisted dying has hovered between 63% and 82%, averaging out to about 71.5% of respondents in favour.
Opposition has averaged out to 18.3%.
The euthanasia debate did not cut across demographics like other social issues, Ms Young said. It showed factors such as gender and age did not appear to be indicators of how people would vote.
More educated voters were more likely to oppose assisted dying, according to the research, while rural voters were also more likely to support it. Support across people backing all major political parties was reasonably high.
‘‘There’s really broad support. There’s no one typical supporter. Which is what makes [one] think there will be broad support when it comes to the referendum,’’ Ms Young said.
The referendum question would only ask voters if they supported the End of Life Choice Bill — not euthanasia itself.
Ms Young said that made it crucial for the public to be properly informed.
The Prime Minister’s Chief Science Adviser, Juliet Gerrard, is gathering a summary of evidence to give to the public before the cannabis referendum.
The same thing needed to happen with euthanasia, Ms Young said.
Submissions were being heard on a Bill about advertising for referendums next year, and Justice Minister Andrew Little yesterday argued the rule changes should ensure the public was properly informed. — The New Zealand Herald