Right to Life applauds the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern for her leadership in upholding the right of Parliament to make laws rather than abdicating that responsibility to the public in a referendum. The issues surrounding euthanasia and in particular the ill-conceived and life threatening End of Life Choice bill, (ELOCB), are still very poorly understood by a great many people.

The Prime Minister rightly disagrees with the Deputy Prime Minister, Winston Peters, who is demanding that a binding referendum be held as a condition of continuing support from NZ First for this bill, which has the full support of the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister was quoted in the NZ Herald as saying, “My view is that a referendum isn’t required to ensure that the voice of New Zealanders has been heard and to reflect the will of Parliament and the people they represent,” she said.

“I will be voting for the bill to continue as it stands.”

Right to Life urges Parliament to support the Prime Minister in opposing an amendment expected to be proposed by David Seymour, or Winston Peters to make the EOLCB subject to a binding referendum.

Euthanasia is about doctors killing their patients or assisting in their suicide, it is intrinsically evil, no referendum can legitimise that which is evil. The prohibition against taking the life of another human being is the foundation of the law and medicine. It is always wrong to kill another innocent human being. The approval of the community, even in a referendum, can never make murder acceptable. A referendum in this regard, is an attempt to seduce and implicate the whole community in the murder of the vulnerable. The most fundamental medical ethic of not killing or helping patients kill themselves must not be reduced to an opinion poll.

Right to Life is implacably opposed to a referendum because it is based on the false and dangerous premise that the community has a right to decide who shall be allowed to be killed. This presumption is a violation of the inalienable right to life of every member of the community.

A binding referendum that resulted in support for the Seymour bill would also impose an intolerable burden on the conscience of parliamentarians who are opposed to the murder of the vulnerable. It would be a serious dereliction of duty for Parliament to support a binding referendum. Parliament must not shamefully shirk its responsibility to protect the lives of the community by cowardly washing its hands and imposing that responsibility onto the community.

Right to Life earnestly requests that our parliamentarians vote to defeat any resolution seeking to impose a binding referendum that would implicate the whole community in the murder of vulnerable people.

Ken Orr
Spokesperson,
Right to Life

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