New Zealand committee says "euthanasia bill not workable in its present state."

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

New Zealand Parliament

According to the New Zealand Scoop Independent News, the Parliament Justice Committee euthanasia report, after 15 months, concluded by stating that 

the committee could not agree on "many substantial issues" and that the bill is "not workable in its current state."

Nearly 38,000 submissions were heard by MPs on the euthanasia Choice Bill. The New Zealand Care Alliance analyzed the submissions and stated:

A full analysis of all 38,707 submissions to the Justice Select Committee shows that 90.2 percent oppose David Seymour’s End of Life Choice Bill. This is a record number of submissions for any bill before the House. They paint a heart-felt and deeply human picture of the views held by many New Zealanders who have considered the implications of legalising euthanasia and assisted suicide, and had sufficient strength of feeling to write in and make their views known.

Scoop reported that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who supports the euthanasia bill said:

It's still not clear whether the bill will have enough support once it returns to Parliament.

Maggie Barry

While Maggie Barry, a National MP who sat on the Justice Committee stated:

she thought political opposition to the bill may have hardened after the lengthy, and often harrowing, consultation period.

There has never been such clear opposition to a euthanasia bill, as has happened in New Zealand. The media claims that the New Zealand citizens support euthanasia yet more than 90% of the submission to the Justice Committee were opposed.