Parliamentarians from five Pacific nations met in Wellington on 29 June to consider how better to involve boys and men in sexual and reproductive health in the Pacific. Presenters at the hearing included the United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA), International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), the Tonga Family Health Association, the Kiribati Health Association, and a male Read more
Announcing an inquiry into voluntary euthanasia on Wednesday, chairman of the health select committee, Simon O’Connor, said members were “ready to engage” on what was an “important conversation that needs to be had”. The inquiry will consider how best to involve the public and what questions and terms of reference need to be included, he Read more
A petition due to be presented to Parliament could be the catalyst for a fresh debate on voluntary euthanasia. Labour’s Iain Lees-Galloway says the End of Life Choice Society petition will be tabled at the first opportunity in Parliament and will go straight to a select committee. An editorial under the heading, the devil is in the Read more
Women seeking an abortion are being offered easier access to the procedure with a free, national telephone consultation service that started this week. Using the freephone number the service has been set up by Wairarapa abortion doctor Simon Snook because of the delays, said to be potentially harmful, faced by many New Zealand women seeking Read more
The architect of voluntary euthanasia legislation in Holland is touring New Zealand saying if life is a gift from God then it may be returned by the owner. Dr Rob Jonquiere has spoken at several gatherings in New Zealand over the past two weeks. He was brought here by the Voluntary Euthanasia Society of New Read more
New Zealand is desperately short of palliative medicine specialists. “There will be a crisis in that workforce within five years unless something is done urgently to address the situation,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). “Senior doctors providing end-of-life care tell us that 55 palliative medicine positions exist Read more
Labour leadership contender Andrew Little says he does not want a colleague to restart the highly divisive debate on legalising euthanasia when the party is trying to restore confidence with voters. Labour’s Palmerston North MP Iain Lees-Galloway has taken over responsibility for the End of Life Choice Bill after sponsor Maryan Street failed to get Read more
Did Brittany Maynard die freely? This is the question that must be asked after the attractive 29-year-old woman with a brain tumour announced earlier in the week that she would probably postpone the assisted suicide she had scheduled for Saturday, November 1. “I still feel good enough, and I still have enough joy — and Read more
A question hangs over the future of the End of Life Choices private member’s bill because its sponsor, Maryan Street, has not been elected to the new parliament. The proposed bill provided for both physician-assisted euthanasia (PAE) and physician-assisted suicide (PAS). The Bill was introduced in 2012 but was withdrawn in September 2013. The reason Read more
Nothing will ever change the Catholic Church’s stand on contraceptives, says Suva, Fiji, vicar-general Father Sulio Turagakacivi. Responding to concerns by the Catholic Women’s League members regarding the church’s stand on contraception and the expensive exercise of raising children in a money-driven society in this era, Fr Turagakacivi said no laws or ideology would change Read more