Explaining End of Life
In the upcoming election, you will be expected to vote on two referendums: the Cannabis Legislation and Control Referendum, and the End of Life Choice referendum.
While the cannabis referendum has received extensive attention from students passionate about politics or desperate for drugs, the End of Life Choice referendum has been overlooked by many students despite potentially impacting their friends, family and loved ones.
The End of Life Choice Act was introduced by Act Party leader David Seymour. If passed, the act will allow New Zealand citizens or permanent residents over the age of 18 who live with a terminal illness to have the option to request assisted dying.
In order to request an assisted death, you must be suffering with a terminal illness that is likely to end your life within six months and must be in a state of irreversible decline. However, the Act allows people to request an assisted death as soon as they receive a terminal diagnosis which means that there is a risk of patients choosing to end their life while still in shock, under stress or facing stages of grief.
According to the Ministry of Health, the process from requesting assisted death to death could take just four working days. In other countries with similar acts, such as Canada, the process takes at least 10 days.
Patients’ requests for assisted death also don’t take into context their mental health issues. A terminally ill person can be eligible for assisted death if they also have mental health issues and are not required to receive support for their mental illness before deciding on assisted death.
There are also concerns about vulnerable individuals being pressured into ending their life through assisted death. Some of the ways that the Act seeks to prevent this is by ensuring that medical professionals are not allowed to bring up the option of assisted death themselves. The possibility for assisted death must be initiated by the patient.
However, this doesn’t fix the feeling of being a burden that many elderly people face which could lead them to opting for assisted death.
These issues are all important to consider when deciding how to cast your vote in October, and politics clubs at Massey have been actively attempting to ensure that students are informed about the topics they’re voting on.
Massey University Albany Politics Club has said that they are actively trying to get students involved in both referenda. Vice-President Liam Cairns said that the club has “been planning events to get students engaged with both referendums, such as debates between pro and anti-cannabis legislation and end of life choice speakers.”
“Our aim with these events is to provide a politically neutral source of information for students to help with their decision making about the upcoming referendum,” he added.
“However, the uncertainty and disruption the lockdowns have caused has made it very difficult to secure speakers and venues.”
Cairns also said that, in his opinion, the End of Life Bill has seen more development than the cannabis legislation referendum. Therefore, it requires immediate attention from students.
“Personally, I think there has been ample discussion from politicians and in the media on both issues, although End of Life has been passed in the house and received royal assent whereas cannabis legislation hasn’t.”
Liam concluded that, “Ultimately, the End of Life Choice bill is unlikely to affect students personally. However, students may want to consult friends and family members who may be directly affected, such as those currently suffering from a terminal illness.”
“They may also want to consider – based on their own values and beliefs – whether they would like to have the choice open to them if they found themselves in a similar situation.”
If the majority vote is in favour of passing the Bill, then the Act will automatically come into force as it’s currently written so it’s important that students are aware of what the End of Life Choice bill entails and what will happen if it's passed.