United Future leader, Hon Peter Dunne, is extremely concerned at reports that the euthanasia debate is set to resume in New Zealand following Holland's recent decision to legalise euthanasia.

Mr Dunne says he opposed the last private member's Bill on euthanasia and feels nothing has changed in the meantime.

"This is a vitally important ethical question - going to the very heart of life - and it is absolutely wrong to be debating it in either a knee-jerk way, or simply because another country has gone down that path."

"United Future upholds the principles of respect for the life, liberty and equality of the individual, and legalised euthanasia is a direct affront to those core principles."

"I do not denigrate the sincerity of those who argue for death with dignity - we all want that - but it can be achieved in other ways than through euthanasia," he says.

Mr Dunne says United Future believes in the highest possible quality of life for everyone and therefore strongly supports improved access to palliative care for terminally ill patients.

"Hospices and other palliative care agencies do a superb and unheralded job and deserve much greater recognition, funding, support and encouragement for this vital and valuable work ."

"Pushing for this will be a critical part of the United Future agenda," he says.

He says he will be voting against any euthanasia legislation that comes before Parliament.

Ends

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