Dutch Government Proposes Assisted Suicide for those tired of Life
17th October 2016

The Dutch Health and Justice Ministers have told their Parliament that a new law is needed for elderly people who are tired of living. Edith Schippers and Ard van de Steur, have told their MP’s that people who feel their ‘life has been completed’ should, with the help of a specialist care worker. get the legal right to die.

The proposed legislation which would come into effect next year, under a provision within the Dutch euthanasia laws, would decriminalize assisted dying for people who are “done with life,” but not suffering from a serious or terminal medical condition.

The proposal has the full support of Members of Parliament. The Dutch government is made up of Labour, Greens and Liberal politicians. Polls reveal that the proposal has support from 60 per cent of the population. The Netherlands Right to Die Association reacted with satisfaction, saying that they were pleasantly surprised by the government initiative.

The proposed legislation will allow all elderly adults, (no age requirement), who believe that their life is complete, to request government funded decriminalized assisted suicide. Ending lives will be put in the hands of “specialist terminal carers”. According to the proposers this would take a complex and responsible task away from family doctors. This after all is a social issue not a medical issue.

The appalling and chilling Dutch proposal raises very important questions for New Zealanders who are involved in an intense debate about amending the law to allow doctors to kill their patients or assist in their suicide.

The NZ Green Party who have a policy which promotes euthanasia, have for some time now been refusing to reply to our correspondence. Right to Life now requests the Greens to inform the public as to whether, like their sister Green Party in Holland, they support assisted suicide for the elderly who believe that their life is complete?

We also ask that In view of the support of the Dutch Right to Die Association for the new Dutch proposal, does the Voluntary Euthanasia Society NZ support the proposal? Is this an agenda that they will try to keep hidden from the public?

David Seymour leader of ACT currently has a Death with Dignity bill waiting to be drawn from the ballot. Ian Lees Galloway Labour MP, also has a Death with Dignity bill (drafted by the Hon Marian Street), awaiting the permission of Labour leader Andrew Little to be returned to the ballot. Right to Life would like to know if these MPs support the Dutch proposal? if they do not, what assurance can they give that if either of these bills were to become law, that we will not simply follow Holland down a proven increasingly slippery slope? After all what started out as a law which allowed euthanasia or physician assisted suicide for those who were terminally ill and close to death has rapidly morphed into one which ‘caters for’ an every expanding list of candidates.

Right to Life requests that Labour and ACT withdraw these obnoxious bills that are a threat to the lives of the most vulnerable members of our community.

The proposed law exposes the deception that euthanasia is all about relieving unbearable suffering or dealing with a grievous and irremediable medical condition. It is not really about compassion but more about terminating a life considered not worthy of living. Holland has within fifteen years of introducing euthanasia legislation, expanded the killing to now include the depressed, those with Alzheimer’s, children, and an estimated 650 babies each year.

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