Here are 8 Reasons why you should vote NO in the binding referendum and keep New Zealand safe from this fatally flawed Act:

#1. There is NO reliable safeguard to prevent someone being pressured into euthanasia or assisted suicide (one doctor is simply required to ‘do their best’ to detect pressure, and they can only speak to people that the patient lets them speak to)

#2. NO independent witness is required at any point in the process - even at the time the lethal dose is injected/taken

#3. There is NO protection against secret euthanasia or assisted suicide (family do not have to be consulted, or even informed)

#4. There is NO requirement to ensure that the person is mentally competent on the day the lethal dose is injected/taken

#5. There is NO protection for terminally ill people who are also depressed or mentally ill

#6. There is NO required cooling-off period before the lethal dose is prescribed

#7. There is NO protection against medical errors about the course of an illness or how long a person has left to live

#8. More than 200 lawyers and over 1600 doctors have publicly denounced this Act as bad law


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Every Vote Counts

The power to save lives is in our hands this election.
With so much on the line we can not afford to leave anything up to chance. From the 3rd to the 17th of October we need as many people as possible to VOTE NO to the End of Life Choice Act.

Register to vote or update your details here.

 
 

We need to talk.

The vast majority of New Zealanders are confused about what the End of Life Choice Act would legalise. Most of us are uncomfortable discussing the topic of death. The referendum on the End of Life Choice Act is too important for us to remain in the dark.

“Most Kiwis aren’t aware that the End of Life Choice Act is not a concept they’ll be voting for, but specific, unmovable legislation. And if we make a mistake, death is a heavy penalty”
— Caralise Trayes

Caralise Trayes is a Journalist and the Author of The Final Choice | End of Life Suffering: Is Assisted Dying the Answer? Her book features interviews and stories from New Zealanders across the End of Life Choice Act debate.

While Caralise is not part the #DefendNZ campaign her book is great resource for anyone wanting to be better informed in the lead up to the election. We have a limited number available to share, contact us to request a copy while they’re available!

 

Thousands of Kiwis from all walks of life, concerned about the danger this law poses to our country and some of its most vulnerable citizens, have come together to #DefendNZ against this proposed law.

#DefendNZ is a grassroots movement, pulled together with the voices, support, and input of people across New Zealand – North Islanders and South Islanders; young and old; all ethnicities; and a full range of political persuasions. If you would like to join us and share your story, please contact us.

We share the stories people need to hear and present the evidence people need to see.

 

We already have choices.

In October 2020 we will vote in a binding referendum on whether the End of life Choice Act should come into force.

A nationwide Curia Market Research poll showed the vast majority of New Zealanders are confused about what this Act aims to legalise.

  • 74% of New Zealanders thought the Act would make it legal for people to choose to have machines turned off that are keeping them alive, when in fact this is already legal.

  • 70% of New Zealanders thought the Act would make it legal for people to choose to not be resuscitated, when again, people can already ask for such a request to be added to their medical file.

  • 75% of New Zealanders thought that the Act made euthanasia available to terminally ill people only as a last resort, after all treatments have been tried to control their pain. However, the End of Life Choice Act does not require an eligible person to have tried any pain relief or palliative care before requesting a lethal dose, or to have a consultation with a palliative care or pain specialist to find out what options are available to them. 

We already have choices. Choices that are better able to protect vulnerable people from abuse by providing care that finds value in every person and every day of life, as well as recognising that medical intervention is not always the answer.

 
 

The End of Life ‘Choice’ Act.

The End of Life Choice Act proposes legal assisted suicide and euthanasia in New Zealand. Parliament’s Justice Committee received a record-breaking 39,000+ submissions from organisations, experts and other members of the public. Even though 90% of submissions were opposed to this law, Parliament voted to pass the Bill and have a binding referendum on it at the October 2020 election.

 

What is proposed?

+ Untested & Unsafe

The End of Life Choice Act proposes immunity from prosecution for medical practitioners and nurse practitioners who perform euthanasia and assisted suicide using lethal drugs.

Four methods are proposed for the administration of a lethal dose: ingestion or intravenous delivery triggered by the person (assisted suicide); and ingestion through a tube or injection (euthanasia). – Section 19 (2)(a)

It is assisted suicide when the person who dies takes the final action that ends their life. It is euthanasia when someone else takes the final action that ends the person’s life.

This Act is NOT about turning off life support, ‘do-not-resuscitate’ requests (not administering CPR) or stopping medical treatment. In these situations, a person would die of natural causes – from their underlying medical condition.

Who would qualify?

+ life-limited & disabled

In order to be eligible a person would need to have a life-limiting condition as well as a physical disability, among other criteria. An eligible person with a terminal illness would not be excluded if they also have treatable depression or another mental illness. The eligibility criteria could still include some disabilities, some degenerative conditions and some chronic conditions, if these conditions would be terminal without life-sustaining medical treatment.

Based on Oregon’s ‘assisted dying’ law, “a terminal illness that is likely to end the person’s life within 6 months” means that a person is likely to die within six months if their condition is allowed to take its course without medical treatment. In Oregon eligible conditions have included diabetes, heart disease, hepatitis, sclerosis, arteritis and arthritis.

Oregon's 'assisted dying' law has been around the longest and the way it is applied sets a precedent for how laws would likely be applied in other jurisdictions also.

What’s the process?

+ Only two doctors between you and death

After a person has made a formal request for assisted suicide or euthanasia, two doctors would assess whether the person is eligible. If any of the doctors are unsure whether the person is mentally competent, a psychiatrist would assess whether the person is able to make an informed decision. Neither doctor needs to screen the person for depression or mental illness. Each medical practitioner would send their paperwork to a Registrar. The attending medical practitioner or a nurse practitioner would provide or administer the lethal dose and then send an assisted death report to the Registrar.

The Registrar would send only this final document to the Review Committee, who would judge whether the law is working well based only on these reports completed after the deaths.

Nobody would be responsible for comparing the forms completed before a death with the report completed after the death.

 
 

Get Involved

The best way to help us to #DefendNZ is to VOTE NO to the End of Life Choice Act from the 3rd of October 2020.

We need your help to raise awareness of the choices that already exist for New Zealanders at the end of their lives and to defend vulnerable people from the risk of abuse that comes with the End of Life Choice Act.

Defend our vulnerable, our disabled people, our elderly. #DefendNZ by voting NO this election.

 

vote no

From the 3rd of October 2020 VOTE NO to the End of Life Choice Act.

share your story

#DefendNZ has been sharing your stories since March 2019 and we are always looking to make more voices heard. Contact us to share your story with us!

donate

Like every vote, every dollar counts. We are a grass-roots organisation funded entirely by the generous support of people like you. Will you help us raise awareness?

 

Where to get help 24/7

Worried about your or someone else’s mental health?

In an emergency
Call 111

Need to talk?
Call or txt 1737

Suicide Helpline
0508 828 865

Lifeline
0800 543 354 or txt HELP (4375)

Youthline
0800 376 633

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