Key: Euthanasia debate a conscience issue for MPs

The Government will not put euthanasia on its work programme but will support an inquiry into the issue, the Prime Minister says.

But for any law to be passed, a private member’s bill will have to be put before Parliamant.

Prime Minister John Key’s comments come as debate strengthens over the right to die, following Wellington lawyer Lecretia Seales’ bid for the courts to rule in favour of assisted suicide.

Seales died on Friday of natural causes, after a long battle with cancer. Just hours before she died, Seales was made aware of Justice David Collins’ ruling on her case – that Parliament was the only body that could legislate for euthanasia to become legal.

At his post-Cabinet press con- ference yesterday, Key said he was personally sympathetic to her case, but a Government-sponsored bill would not occur, because it would never make it through the National caucus.

Nor was it an issue he was prepared to whip caucus support for, but he laid out the process in which a law change might occur.

‘‘There will be no Governmentsponsored bill for the very reason it’s a conscience issue.’’

That meant individual MPs would vote according to their personal beliefs.

‘‘Each caucus and party will need to have their own discussions on this. The Government’s starting position is that euthanasia, or assisted death, is a conscience issue that is a matter for each individual,’’ Key said.

The Government was open to an inquiry, being called for in a petition by the the Voluntary Euthanasia Society of New Zealand.

‘‘However, I would caution that while this would facilitate a debate, allowing the public a forum in which to participate, it would not satisfy Lecretia’s ultimate wish for the law to be changed,’’ Key said.

‘‘That can only be done by specific legislation being put before the house. Any MP is free to do just that, and if drawn from the ballot Parliament will debate it.’’

ACT leader David Seymour was in the process of drafting a member’s bill, and Labour MP Iain Lees-Galloway said he would attempt to table his own bill at the first opportunity, which would be when the house sat again next Tuesday.

That might allow LeesGalloway to bypass the ballot, but only if no one objected, which was unlikely.