“While the decision by Labour MP Maryan Street to withdraw her Euthanasia Bill from the Members Ballot today is welcomed, we understand that it arises from purely political motives – a wish to avoid a controversial debate in an election year – rather than out of concern for the dangerous social consequences of such a Read more
The Advisory Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology (Acart), has been seeking public opinion on its “Background Paper for stakeholder discussion on the Import and Export of Gametes and Embryos”. Submissions closed on 31 May. The committee is the first of a two stage approach to talking with stakeholders about the issues. In this first stage they have presented arguments about six Read more
We have to carefully consider the sort of message the legalising of euthanasia would give to those who are elderly, ill or disabled and the message it would send to the rest of society about a person’s worth says the Director of The Nathaniel Centre, the NZ Catholic Bioethics Centre, Mr John Kleinsman. In a study Read more
“The legalising of euthanasia would open up new pathways of abuse for many elderly and otherwise vulnerable people,” says Director of The Nathaniel Centre and bioethics researcher John Kleinsman. His comments were made in response to MP Maryan Street’s End of Life Choice Bill being put into the Ballot. Ms Street has publicly admitted her Read more
A report on Professor Patrick Pullicino’s comments about The Liverpool Care Pathway which was published the The Daily Mail was based on sweeping generalisations and lacked accuracy says John Kleinsman, Director of The Nathaniel Centre – the New Zealand Catholic Bioethics Centre. Pullicino was reported as saying doctors had turned the use of the Liverpool Care Pathway Read more
As the spokesperson of a Catholic bioethics centre, there are some who discount my message because of my religious affiliation, rather than on the basis of its merits. It’s a classic case of “playing the man instead of the ball”. As two commentators noted in response to comments I recently made about the dangers of Read more
The MP campaigning for the right to die has been buoyed by a poll that shows more than 85 per cent of respondents to a survey supported voluntary euthanasia. The Sunday Star-Times reader poll of more than 1000 people also found almost three-quarters of people would help a terminally-ill loved one commit suicide, and that Read more
While we support discussion about Euthanasia and what it means to die well, it is actually premature to talk about legalising euthanasia while New Zealander’s lack equitable access to palliative care. In the absence of this choice, death by assisted suicide or euthanasia is an illusory choice – it can never be voluntary in a Read more
A recently published article argues that since abortion is largely accepted even for reasons that do not have anything to do with the fetus’ health, after-birth abortion’ (killing a newborn) should be permissible in all the cases where abortion is, including cases where the newborn is not disabled because: 1. Both fetuses and newborns do Read more
The recent conviction of Sean Davison has revived the euthanasia debate. In an article in the New Zealand Herald, John Kleinsman argues that there is no case for killing society’s most vulnerable members. He argues that “the ‘right to die’ could become a ‘duty’ to die”. Read John Kleinsman’s article Image: Voxy.co John Kleinsman Read more