When New Zealanders voted two to one for the End of Life Choice Act in 2020, they voted for compassion and for dignity. It was based on a simple belief that no-one should be forced to endure unbearable suffering when they would rather go peacefully and on their own terms.
Since then, more than 1200 terminally ill people have taken that path. They have chosen to meet death with grace, calm and on their own terms, often with their families beside them.
But when the law was passed, it was a compromise and to get it through Parliament, David Seymour, now Minister Seymour, had to agree to some restrictions so that, unfortunately, some New Zealanders are still missing out.
So while it was a remarkable effort by David Seymour to get this Bill through, there are people who aren’t able to meet the restriction in the law of having a terminal illness that means that they’ll die within six months.
As we all know, it’s very hard when you’re living with a terminal illness or degenerative illness to put down on paper that your life might end in a strict timeline. It doesn’t necessarily follow a calendar.
I have had many people who have had to sit beside or next to loved ones with degenerative illnesses — motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, end-stage lung disease — where their decline might stretch over a number of years, but it’s known that their death by the disease that they’re living with is going to be inevitable. And so they continue to live with immense suffering.
Unfortunately, under the current law, they’re told: "You do not qualify". That is not compassion.
I was very moved last year when I accepted a petition in August which Social Justice Aotearoa had organised. It was signed by over 3300 New Zealanders, really drawing attention to this issue.
It had been initiated by the plight of Nicole Martin, who lives with a degenerative illness in Taupō and she, unfortunately, wasn’t able to access the end-of-life regime.
I have heard from families across New Zealand about this issue, and that’s why I’ve proposed amendments to the End of Life Choice Act which will make it more compassionate, and will draw it closer to the original intent of the Bill by removing this arbitrary six-month cutoff.
But the safeguards New Zealanders expect will still remain — the law will remain safe, it will remain careful, but it will become finally a bit fairer.
We know that end-of-life choice is not for everyone, but I want those who do want to access to it to know that they can take comfort that the disease that they’re living with will be accessible for it.
So, again, what we’re trying to do is just give New Zealanders back a sense of control, and often that is taken from them by an incurable disease.
I have taken the step in the last few weeks of writing to every member of the House, and they will have received this letter. So in addition to dealing with the six-month restriction, I’ve also taken the opportunity to pick up the 25 recommendations that the Ministry of Health published in its report, which was released at the end of last year. This was, again, a piece of excellent work done as part of the End of Life Choice Act, which required a review.
So I’m asking to meet all MPs — some I’ve already met — and I know there will be some in this House who don’t support the change but I would still like to meet you and talk over the options because it’s important that we do actually have a dialogue around this.
I also want to thank the End of Life Choice Society, Russell McVeagh and Social Justice Aotearoa for supporting the efforts to date. I also want to acknowledge the Hon Maryan Street, who has, once again, come back on board to try to build some political consensus around this sensible amendment that I’m asking is made to the End of Life Choice Act.
So I look forward to delivering for New Zealanders, because, at the end, this Bill isn’t actually about politics or law.
It is about love, compassion and dignity, and I want to make sure that that is abided by.
• Todd Stephenson is an Act New Zealand list MP from Queenstown. This is an edited version of a General Debate speech he gave in the House last week. His End of Life Choice Amendment Bill was not selected in a member’s Bill ballot on Thursday.
