Green’s ‘Assisted Suicide’ Policy Ignores Important Inquiry

Media Release 22 September 2016
Family First NZ is slamming a Green Party policy on euthanasia which has been released at the same time as a major inquiry on assisted suicide gets under way with representation on the select Committee from the Greens themselves.
“It is significant that while Green MP Kevin Hague says that there has been ‘political timidity’, the Greens won’t campaign on the issue. The country needs to have a robust honest debate about assisted suicide without the emotion of a parliamentary change in the mix, and examine whether so-called ‘safeguards’ deserve that label, whether coercion is subtle but real, and whether patients will ask themselves why they are not availing themselves of assisted suicide,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.
“There are mixed messages when the Greens rightly wants to take a zero tolerance approach to suicide yet at the same time approve certain circumstances for a person to take their life. The risk of ‘suicide contagion’ associated with promoting euthanasia is also a real concern,” says Mr McCoskrie.
“The Green Party policy raises concerns around issues of subjective definitions, risks to the elderly and vulnerable, and statements made around potential euthanasia for disabled persons.”
“New Zealand has a well-developed network of hospices, and palliative medicine is widely practiced with a standard of excellence, and the Greens would be better to focus on ensuring world class palliative care is available to all NZ’ers.”
“The Green Party should pull the plug on their policy and allow the conversation to happen in the Inquiry.”
ENDS