Right to Life is opposed to the law being changed to allow doctors to kill their patients or assist in their suicide.
Right to Life is a “whole of life” pro-life organisation, meaning we seek to uphold the right to life of every human being from conception to natural death.
The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights upholds our right to life as being universal and inalienable. It is the foundation of our human rights, being inalienable it may not be taken from us nor may we give it up.
In New Zealand two Death with Dignity bills were defeated at their first reading in 1995 and 2003. ACT MP David Seymour has a private member’s bill, “End of Life Choice” in the ballot.
And the Parliamentary Health Select Committee is considering an estimated 20,000 submissions on a petition concerning assisted suicide, from former MP Maryan Street.
In Holland the Dutch Euthanasia Society is currently lobbying Parliament to change the law to allow providing every 70 year old with a lethal suicide pill.
Street and the Voluntary Euthanasia Society are proposing that the Crimes Act be changed to allow doctors to kill their patients or assist in their suicide.
Assisting in suicide or engaging in homicide are serious crimes which may be punished with a term of imprisonment.
The World Medical Association that represents medical associations in 102 countries is totally opposed to euthanasia.
The New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA) that represents more than 5500 registered medical practitioners is also opposed as are palliative care specialists and Hospice New Zealand.
The medical profession is absolutely clear that euthanasia is about doctors killing their patients.
Dr Paul Ockelford, the then chairman of the NZMA, at a public meeting discussing euthanasia in Dunedin in 2012, asked if the NZMA condoned doctors taking a life, would we teach it at medical school? “Would we have a course that teaches students to kill?” Continue reading
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- Article by Ken Orr, spokesman for pro-life organisation Right to Life in Stuff