I know first-hand how painful it is to watch a loved one deteriorate and die.

However, I feel frustrated by the emphasis the current assisted suicide debate puts on the terminally ill.

Rhetoric about how the terminally ill need assisted dying is only a way to manipulate our emotions and soften up society for the real agenda: legal assisted suicide for everyone. The pro-euthanasia lobby wants suicide to be regarded as normal, acceptable and rational. Their only objection is that “suicide is violent” – not that it’s to be prevented and discouraged in principle. In fact, it should be facilitated for anyone who “wants to die”.

Recently euthanasia advocate Philip Nitschke appealed his medical deregistration in response to his involvement in the suicide of a 45-year old depressed but healthy man. Nitschke’s lawyer said in his opening address the case was about “the dangerous idea [of] whether a person who is contemplating rational suicide ought to be required by a medical doctor not to do so”..

He implied that if a person had a good reason to want to die, a doctor should not intervene.

Since suffering is subjective and universal, any suicidal person would have a rationale for wanting to die. Terminal illness is only one of many possibilities.

The slogans with “choose to die”, “die on one’s own terms” and “right to control the timing and manner of one’s death” apply to suicide and by definition, rights apply to everyone.

Last June I asked Maryan Street at a public forum: “If this right applies to everyone, why are there conditions in your bill?”

She replied that suicide was legal, but assisted suicide was illegal, so to change the law there had to be conditions.

The End-of-Life Choice Bill proposes legal assisted suicide for anyone over 18 who has an irreversible physical or mental medical condition and understands that a request will result in death. This would include disability, chronic illness, mental illness, depression and ageing-related conditions. Effectively, any adult could be eligible.

The essence of the assisted dying debate is whether anyone who wants to die should be allowed to kill themselves.

Should assisted suicide be legal for anyone, irrespective of their health condition or age? If the answer is no, we should not legalise assisted dying at all, not even for the terminally ill.

Any law would be a stepping stone, a toe in the door, towards assisted suicide on demand.

Any law would inevitably be extended, in law or in practice, to other groups of people who are also suffering, as has happened overseas.

It would be inconsistent and discriminating not to.

Source:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff-nation/assignments/your-stance-on-euthanasia/10847260/Assisted-suicide-a-stepping-stone

It is extremely naive to imagine that the legislation of euthanasia would affect only the very few, high-profile cases which so readily gain the public’s attention and sympathy (Ensuring the right to die, November 8).

Any such move would have profound and long-lasting effects.

Firstly, it would turn on its head the role of doctors and nurses. Poisons in deliberately lethal doses would be stored in hospital dispensaries. Practitioners who refuse to take part would be on the outer, accused of flouting the law and the rights of their patients.

Secondly, the true victims of such a change would be the elderly and disabled. Faced with the cost of their treatment, many vulnerable patients would bow to pressure from family members who would welcome the opportunity of being freed from the practical and financial burden of caring for them.

Anyone sceptical of this happening should check out the current rate of elder abuse in the country.

Thirdly, legalising the right to assisted dying would severely impact the already difficult work of suicide prevention.

Among the many downhill benchmarks of the notorious “slippery slope” initiated by such legislation, this is likely to be the first and the most devastating.

Dominion Post Letters to the Editor, Thursday, September 13, 2014.

Letter by D Penk, Auckland

Belgium passed their first euthanasia law for adults in 2002 – the ‘slippery slope’ proven. New Zealand must keep this in mind for the general election this year and gauge how every potential MP intends to vote on the issue of euthanasia. If an adult law can be passed then surely an amendment can follow to allow the same rights for a child. This should alarm and appal us.

Note: Posted on SPCS blog to promote discussion.

For full article by social commentator Sue Reid, published in the Dominion Post 18/02/14, see:

http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/2014/02/euthanasia-has-a-proven-slippery-slope-sue-reid/

Note: Sue Reid, a writer for the registered charity Family First New Zealand, lost her son when he was seven days old. Her experience helped convince her New Zealand should not follow Belgium in allowing euthanasia for children. 

Angry doctors are appalled at Prime Minister John Key’s claims that euthanasia already happens in hospitals.

“We never practise euthanasia; euthanasia is the deliberate ending of life, and is illegal and unethical,” Australian and New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine chairwoman Sinead Donnelly said.

Mr Key’s comments could seriously damage the trust people had in hospital care of the seriously ill, the Wellington doctor said.

Mr Key signalled his broad support for euthanasia – medical assistance to die – during a stint on Newstalk ZB this week.

“If I had terminal cancer, I had a few weeks to live, I was in tremendous amount of pain – if they just effectively wanted to turn off the switch and legalise that by legalising euthanasia, I’d want that.”

Hospice New Zealand clinical adviser Sandy Macleod said “euthanasia does not occur in our hospitals, full stop”.

Dr Macleod, a palliative care specialist at Christchurch Hospital, said Mr Key’s comments were misguided and incorrect.

“As sickness progresses towards death, the focus of care is on minimising suffering. To minimise suffering, it is not necessary to kill the sufferer.

“Often morphine is blamed for people dying, or sedation is blamed for people dying, but the reality is they die of their disease and neither of those medical treatments hastens their death.”

Capital & Coast District Health Board head of palliative care Jonathan Adler said there was a lack of understanding about end-of-life choices.

Switching off a life support machine and allowing someone to die of natural causes was not euthanasia, Dr Adler said.

“There’s real confusion about what we can and can’t do in New Zealand.

“You can have a lot more control at end of life than people believe at the moment.”

People could refuse medical treatments, such as being resuscitated or given antibiotics.

“They’re not taking something to make their life shorter, they’re just saying, ‘For whatever reason, for me, and how I see life at the moment, I want to be comfortable, I don’t want to have my life prolonged, enough’s enough, just keep me comfortable’.”

An advanced directive states what medical treatment a person wants in a particular situation, and an advanced-care plan details what they want at the end of life, such as dying at home. Both are created in conjunction with family and medical professionals.

Dr Adler called for better discussion about death and dying between doctors and patients, rather than a giant leap to legalising euthanasia.

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When Mr Key was asked last night about his earlier comments, he said: “I don’t think anyone is breaking the law, but in a practical sense I think that [euthanasia] already happens here in New Zealand today.

“Switches get turned off from time to time, don’t they?”

Asked if his comments made hospitals seem untrustworthy, he said: “No, I don’t think so. Their comments in the paper align exactly with what I meant.”

Source: Story by Bronwyn Torrie (HEALTH) – The Dominion Post, Friday, August 24, 2012, p. A5.

Fairfax NZ News

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/7538178/PMs-euthanasia-claim-sparks-anger

TOPIC: LEGALISED EUTHANASIA: DO WE NEED IT?

A one-day conference for health professionals, educators, carers and the general public

Date and Time : Saturday 30 June 2012 9 am to 1 pm

Venue: Barrycourt Conference Centre, 10 Gladstone Rd, Parnell, Auckland

Led by Alex Schadenberg. Executive Director and International Chair

Contributors: Dr Huhana Hickey, Russell Vickery, John Kleinsman

Euthanasia Prevention Coalition: For registration details and more information go to:  http://euthanasiadebate.org.nz/

Dr Philip Nitschke’s Peaceful Pill Handbook was launched in Auckland on Sunday 13th February 2007. The next day an application from Dr Nitschke seeking leave of the Chief Censor, Bill Hastings, to have the book classified was received by the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC). On the 15th February 2007, Hastings, granted leave. The OFLC classified the book “objectionable” in a decision dated 7 June 2007 (OFLC No. 700240), signed by Hastings.

The book ‘launch’ featured a speech by Lindsay Perigo, available from Not PC (MP3, 5.5 MB, 24 min), in which he vigorously defended freedom of speech. He labelled politicians and priests –  history’s greatest enemies of free speech and discussed the views of some of those we remember as advocates of free speech, including Voltaire. In a bewildering flourish of rhetoric he claimed that priests and politicians operate under the arrogant presumption that they own “your life” or “their god owns your life” – all priests label everything one might enjoy doing as evil and bad and find pleasure when we suffer miserably. He labelled all those who argued that The Peaceful Pill Handbook should be banned as motivated by “religious bigotry”. He closed by claiming that the world could only become truly civilised when the guts of the last politician is strangled by the guts of the last priest. He received thunderous and applause from the tiny ensemble of aged individuals who attended the ‘launch’.

Sources: http://.freespeech.org.nz/section 14/category/suicide/

Perigo launches voluntary euthanasia book

http://pc.blogspot.com/2007/02/perigo-launches-voluntary-euthanasia.html

Jon Ronson The Guardian Monday 12 2008

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/may/12/mentalhealth.health

Summary

Irish police are seeking the arrest and extradition of the Reverend George Exoo,  “a giggly, gay liberal unitarian preacher, cultured funny, [and]charming.” who is “a leading figure in the right-to-die movement.” Like fellow right-to-die propagandist Dr Philip Nitschke, whose book The Peaceful [Suicide] Pill Handbook was recently classified and cleared by NZ’s gay Chief Censor, Bill Hastings, for sale in NZ bookshops, Exoo has helped over 100 people commit suicide. But, reports Jon Ronson, “most of his [Exoo’s] clients were not terminally ill, just depressed and in need of psychiatric help.”

“I’m a midwife to the dying, for those who want to hasten their deaths,” claims Rev Exoo. He has announced publicly that he intends to commit suicide (see video link above) and so become the first martyr for the right-to-die movement, so that he and his nomosexual partner THomas McGurrin, can avoid extraditon from the US as suspects, in the assisted suicide of Rosemary Toole, who had been suffering depression, prior to seeking help from Rev Exoo. Under Irish law, a person convicted of the crime of assisting a suicide, faces a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

According to reports, Rev Exoo’s devoted followers showed no emotion when he publicly announced his intention to commit suicide (see video). Instead, they were utterly obsessed by a morbid fascination in the method he planned to use to take his own life, quizzing him on this matter. This cold, callous and clinical approach of right-to-death zealots, permeates Dr Nitschke’s pernicious book that documents in excruciating and meticulous detail, many options for committing suicide and assisting others to commit the act.

Chief Censor, Bill Hastings and his deputy, Nicola McCully, a lesbian, who hold the only two statutory positions in the Office of Film and Literature, have seen fit to allow this book that incites criminal activity and promotes a culture of death, into bookshops, for sale, throughout NZ.  Dr Nitchke told the media he was “thrilled” that Mr Hastings had cleared his book for sale in NZ.  

“The Nazis had a scheme for killing the mentally insane which they called ‘mercy-killing’ or ‘euthanasia’ ; apparently, they could hardly wait for the smokescreen of war to put it into effect. By an order dated Sept. 1, 1939 – the very day war broke out – Hitler authorised the Chief of his chancellery, Buehler, and his private physician, Dr. Brandt, to administer ‘mercy killing’ to incurable persons.” [Ref. 1: Gideon Hausner. Justice in Jerusalem (NY: Holocaust Library, 1968), p.90].

Introduction

Euthanasia, as far as the 20th century is concerned, is no new thing. Immediately after the Second World War, revelations about the Nazi Holocaust meant that euthanasia fell into disrepute. However, euthanasia, once considered unthinkable, is now widely practised in the Netherlands. In Australia, in our own part of the world, the Northern Territory Government has recently voted to allow voluntary euthanasia.

It is with macabre irony that the capital of the Northern Territory is named after the man whose theories have done much to undermine Christian values – Charles Darwin. (His ‘theory’ of natural selection was defined in terms of  ‘survival of the fittest,’  a phrase first coined by Herbert Spencer).

For full article go to:

http://www.christian-apologetics.org/html/death.htm#t2

Previously published in
Apologia (The Journal of the Wellington Christian Apologetics Society Inc.)
Vol. 4 no.2 (1995): 5-12

PM – Tuesday, 13 May , 2008  18:46:00

Reporter: Kerri Ritchie

BRENDAN TREMBATH: In New Zealand, right to life groups are outraged at a decision allowing a pro-euthanasia book co-written by Philip Nitschke to be sold in the country.
The Peaceful Pill Handbook was banned in Australia last year, but an edited version has been cleared for sale to New Zealanders over the age of 18.
While opponents are demanding the decision be reviewed, Philip Nitschke is now vowing to make another attempt to get his book into Australian shops.
New Zealand correspondent Kerri Ritchie reports.
KERRI RITCHIE: There in black and white, The Peaceful Pill Handbook outlines ways people can commit suicide.
Philip Nitschke hopes his book will be in New Zealand shops within a fortnight.

You can also listen to the story in REAL AUDIO and WINDOWS MEDIA and MP3 formats.

http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2008/s2243906.htm

PHILIP NITSCHKE: We went to great lengths to try and address some of the concerns in the very detailed opinion that had been provided by chief censor Bill Hastings when he’s decided that the first version could not be distributed and we’re pleased that we seem to have addressed those issues.
KERRI RITCHIE: The book was banned in New Zealand last July.
But late last week, the Office of Film and Literature Classification overturned that decision.
Philip Nitschke says his book got the okay after 15 pages were revised and a couple of diagrams were removed.
PHILIP NITSCHKE: That relates particularly to areas where there’s been some concern about the fact that they direct or instruct them how to break the law. The essential material interestingly is still there.
It provides enough material of a practical nature, reliable, accurate and practical nature for people when they get the material that’s in this version to be able to affect a peaceful end of their life at the time of their choosing.
KERRI RITCHIE: The book can now be sold sealed to people over the age of18.
New Zealand’s chief censor Bill Hastings has defended his decision to approve the book, with an R18 classification, saying it was the most he could impose after the law was changed in 2005.
Right to life groups are appalled.
The Society for Promotion of Community Standards has written to the Film and Literature Board of Review demanding the decision be reversed.
Executive director David Lane.
DAVID LANE: Well our main concerns are that this book has the potential to be a pernicious influence amongst those who are vulnerable, particularly young people who have difficulties with relationships and depression who, for whatever reason do consider suicide as a way of opting out of life.
KERRI RITCHIE: He says the publisher has been cunning; getting approval in New Zealand before making another attempt for clearance in Australia.
DAVID LANE: What he’s done is he’s used the services of the chief censor’s office to determine from, shall we say a Kiwi perspective, what are all the phrases and sentences and paragraphs that are problematic and these have all been carefully pinpointed by Mr Bill Hastings, the chief censor.
He’s done the publisher a great service to some extent by clarifying all these and largely at taxpayer’s expense because what the publisher has paid by way of an application fee to get this done is minimal compared to the extent to which the chief censor has carried out his work here.
KERRI RITCHIE: He says the handbook is the last thing New Zealand needs.
DAVID LANE; I know that people say that the concern of the writer is to allow older people to look at their options late in life but when we talk about suicide in New Zealand we are very, very ashamed by the fact that we have one of the worst, if not the worst track records of developed countries.
The number of young people that commit suicide every year is something horrendous. And when this material is readily available through bookshops, it does the rounds, it gets passed around, people are curious, people who are vulnerable get access to this material and we’re keen to see young people who are vulnerable safeguarded from material that is injurious to the public good.
KERRI RITCHIE: Philip Nitschke says he hopes Australia authorities will now re-think their decision to ban the book.
PHILIP NITSCHKE: Obviously it’s a version which has been produced specifically for New Zealand, although we will be of course re-presenting that to the Australian censor now for their consideration after we’ve got the detailed set of reasons as to why it was accepted in New Zealand.
KERRI RITCHIE: Right to life groups say they will call for the shops which stock the book to be publicly shunned.
This is Kerri Ritchie in Auckland reporting for PM.

_______________________________________________________________

This is a transcript from PM. The program is broadcast around Australia at 5:10pm on Radio National and 6:10pm on ABC Local Radio.

You can also listen to the story in REAL AUDIO and WINDOWS MEDIA and MP3 formats.

Mark Colvin presents PM Monday to Friday from 5:10pm on Radio National and 6:10pm on ABC Local Radio. Join Mark for the latest current affairs, wrapping the major stories of each

About the Program

PM is one of the grand institutions of Australian public broadcasting. The program celebrated its 30th anniversary last July – three decades of reporting Australia and the world.

It was the first Australian current affairs program to use journalists, not announcers or actors, as hosts. The founding comperes were John Highfield and Laurie Bryant. Tim Bowden was the executive producer and reporters included Ray Martin, Paul Barber and Paul Murphy.

Huw Evans anchored the program for 12 years, followed by Paul Murphy, Ellen Fanning, Monica Attard and now Mark Colvin.

PM’s timeslot at the end of the day has always given it a strong position from which to produce commentary and analysis on the political events of the moment, both in Canberra and the state capitals.

The PM team produces ABC Radio’s Budget Special each year. The program came live from Canberra for the full two weeks of the Constitutional Convention and Mark Colvin joined chief political correspondent, Matt Peacock, for live coverage of the federal election.

PM has had a broader international perspective from the beginning too. Bowden pioneered the use of a more informal style in interviewing the ABC’s network of foreign correspondents, and the foreign bureau’s work has always played an important part in the program.

PM is a national forum of enduring value. It is well placed for another three decades of public broadcasting.

http://www.abc.net.au/pm/aboutus.htm

The Society for Promotion of Community Standards [SPCS] has written to the Film and Literature Board of Review [see letter below] seeking a review of the decision [web-link below] to approve the book for R18 release.

New Zealand chief censor Bill Hastings says Dr Nitschke’s The Peaceful Pill Handbook is a well-intentioned book for the terminally-ill and elderly.

However, Mr Hastings says several areas have been edited so people do not think suicide is to be taken lightly.

Australian censors banned the book last year.

The society’s executive director, David Lane, says the material breeds a culture of death in New Zealand and is not solely a matter for the chief censor.

Mr Lane says the society is seeking an assurance that those who deal with depressive and suicidal people have been consulted over the release of the book.

He says there will be calls for bookshops to be publicly shunned, should they stock the title.

Posted at 4:12pm on 12 May 2008 on Radio NZ website:

http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/latest/200805121612/1fbd4b23

Appendix

For classification decision issued by Chief Censor’s Office on the revised Peaceful Pill Handbook,  see:

http://www.censorship.govt.nz/pdfword/peaceful%20pill%20s38.pdf

Letter sent to Secretary: