WelCom December 2019
Several hundred protesters against the End of Life Choice Bill gathered outside Parliament on the day of the third and final reading of the bill, 13 November 2019.
The member’s bill, in the name of ACT leader David Seymour, that would allow terminally ill adults, to request a medically-assisted death, cleared its third reading 69 votes to 51.
It will take a majority referendum result at next year’s general election before the legislation can be enacted.
Just days before the End of Life Choice Bill was read a third time in Parliament, Dr Sinead Donnelly told TVNZ 1’s Breakfast there is no place for euthanasia in New Zealand.
Dr Donnelly is one of more than 1500 doctors who signed an open letter to Parliament, which opposes the End of Life Choice Bill.
‘In my view and in our view of the 1500 doctors there is no place for a doctor intentionally ending the life of another person. Our duty is to care, to serve and to advocate for people,’ Dr Donnelly said.
She said the view is not just isolated to New Zealand. ‘We stand with the World Medical Association that actually represents 114 countries and nine million physicians who say it’s not the role of a doctor to end someone’s life.’
Photo: WelCom