Euthanase Govt Thinking On Parole, Says Eckhoff

Thursday 1 Jul 2004

Gerry Eckhoff - Press Releases - Other

ACT New Zealand MP Gerry Eckhoff today accused the Labour Government of placing the Parole Board between a rock and a hard place, following the Board's decision to turn down euthanasia campaigner Lesley Martin's application for home detention.

"The Parole Board's decision to deny Lesley Martin home detention, because she refuses to admit that her actions in helping her terminally-ill mother to die were any different from 38 doctors who recently admitted doing exactly the same thing, defies belief," Mr Eckhoff said.

"Yet Labour refuses to address the rules under which the Board makes its decisions. It fails to accept that there is a real social issue that must be publicly debated. The Government has placed the homosexual, civil union and prostitution legislation before the public, but ignores the common practice of assisting the terminally ill to die with dignity.

"To describe Lesley Martin as a risk to the community shows just how far removed from public opinion they are. This is a board that regularly releases dangerous criminals back into society just because they feign remorse under the current law. Lesley Martin quite rightly refuses to follow their example.

"Clearly, the Government and the Parole Board has two criteria for parole: one for high profile people who demonstrate humanity and caring for their fellow beings and are not a threat whatsoever to society other than to challenge hypocrisy. The other appears to be a few acting skills and false admission of regret.

"The justice system has made its point. So too has Lesley Martin. She should be released from custody forthwith so she can get on with her life," Mr Eckhoff said.

ENDS

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