Govt won’t create new euthanasia laws – John Key

Stuff co.nz 8 June 2015
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 Parliament .

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 conference on Monday, 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.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/69210987/Govt-will-back-euthanasia-inquiry-but-won-t-create-new-laws-says-John-Key