A survey commissioned by Euthanasia-Free NZ and conducted by Curia Market Research (CMR), indicates the gap in public opinion between those who support and oppose the End of Life Choice Bill was narrowing.
The survey results are based on 1048 responses.
When questioned about specific aspects of euthanasia the poll found:
- 73 per cent were opposed to allowing anyone over 18 to request a lethal injection without telling family members about it
- 57 per cent agreed that doctors be allowed to administer lethal doses of drugs to patients. 43 per cent disagreed, were unsure of, or refused to answer
- 27 per cent agreed that a doctor should be allowed to administer lethal drugs to a patient who was not in pain
- 35 per cent supported euthanasia because a terminally ill person was depressed or thought life was meaningless
- 25% supported New Zealand having a law that would allow terminally ill persons to choose euthanasia because they feel they are a burden
Act Party MP David Seymour who sponsors the End of Life Choice Bill said the poll asked deliberately misleading questions that are not contained in the proposed legislation.
Curia Market Research Ltd (CMR) has been operating since 2004.
CMR website says its principal, David Farrar, has almost twenty years of experience in all aspects of polling from question design to results analysis.
“He has provided polling services to three New Zealand Prime Ministers and four Opposition Leaders.”
The second reading of the End of Life Choice Bill will be on May 22.
Labour and National will allow their MPs to have a “conscience vote” on the issue for the Bill’s second reading.
The Greens have said they would support the Bill in its second reading, but are likely to vote the Bill down unless it applies only to those with terminal illnesses.
Winston Peters has made a referendum a condition of his party’s continued support for the passage of the Bill.
Seymour has suggested amending the Bill to include that requirement (as well as narrowing its eligibility criteria to apply only to the terminally ill to satisfy the Greens and other MPs who want narrower access).
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