MP withdraws euthanasia bill after pressure from Labour Party colleagues

A bill to legalise voluntary euthanasia in New Zealand has been withdrawn amid fears it would become a political football.

Labour MP Maryan Street (left) withdrew her End of Life Choice Bill on 26 September before the member's bill ballot saying that she didn’t want it debated in election year.

She claimed that the move was ‘simply pragmatism’ and that she ‘absolutely’ planned to put it back in the ballot after the election.

Street was believed to have been pressured by Labour party colleagues to withdraw the bill amid concerns that some would have to campaign against it, distracting from the rest of the campaign.

This bill (see draft here) is opposed by the New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA], Hospice New Zealand and the Catholic Bishops Conference. The Chairman of the NZMA has said, ‘euthanasia is unethical and cannot be condoned’.

Professor Emeritus David Richmond, spokesperson for Euthanasia-Free New Zealand, welcomed the move and said that the withdrawal would provide the much needed time to educate the NZ community and Members of Parliament about the hazards of legalising euthanasia.

‘Public opinion polls that appear to show a majority in favour of legalising euthanasia reflect the one-sided nature of the debate thus far in New Zealand – largely the fault of the media - the simplistic nature of the questions asked and the ignorance of the majority of New Zealanders about the wider issues involved,’ he said.

He called for a redoubling of efforts on the part of all groups and organisations opposed to the Bill to alert the public to the danger to society, including the loss of human freedom, that accompanies legalised euthanasia.

As I have reported before, Street’s draft bill is very broad in scope proposing that euthanasia be open to people with terminal illness likely to cause death within 12 months, or to people with an irreversible physical or mental condition that renders their life unbearable - by their own assessment.

Therefore anyone in New Zealand who has a terminal illness that may cause their death within 12 months or anyone who personally assesses that their physical or mental condition is unbearable would qualify for euthanasia even if they have chronic depression or mental illness.

The delay will give campaigners in New Zealand a well needed reprieve to educate the public about strong arguments against changing the law. I hope they make the very best of the opportunity.

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New Zealand euthanasia bill is wide-open and open to being wider, says bill’s author

A review by Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition from his blog. Maryan Street is currently under pressure from members of her own party to withdraw her End of Life Choice Bill which has yet to be drawn on a ballot (full draft text here). Picture left shows Schadenberg debating Maryan Street on NZ television.

Stuff media in New Zealand reported today on a talk given in New Plymouth by Maryan Street, the New Zealand MP who has sponsored a bill to legalize euthanasia in New Zealand.

The article reports that Street stated:

‘The bill proposes euthanasia be open to people with terminal illness likely to cause death within 12 months, or to people with an irreversible physical or mental condition that renders their life unbearable - by their own assessment.’

Therefore anyone in New Zealand who has a terminal illness that may cause their death within 12 months or anyone who personally assesses that their physical or mental condition is unbearable would qualify for euthanasia.

This means that anyone with a terminal or chronic condition qualifies to be lethally injected, based on their own personal assessment, even if they have chronic depression or mental illness.

Clearly this bill will enable people to subtly pressure people with physical or mental disabilities, who are not otherwise dying, to die by lethal injection in New Zealand.

Street then is reported to state:

‘Application for children with terminal illness was a bridge too far in my view at this time. That might be something that may happen in the future, but not now.’

This means that she isn't ready to propose euthanasia for children with disabilities yet, but once society begins to deem their lives to be not worth living, then she will consider it.

The Netherlands first legalised euthanasia in 2001 for competent people, it has now approved euthanasia for newborns with disabilities and people with dementia.

It is interesting that Street suggested that:

‘I feel a little aggrieved when people say this bill will be the start of a slippery slope where we will just dispose of everybody who is inconvenient for society. It's not true. It is about people having the choice as to when they end their lives.’

The euthanasia lobby always sell their ideology under the guise of choice and they ignore the abuses that occur when others are given the right in law to cause death.

When euthanasia was legalized in Belgium in 2002, the euthanasia lobby also claimed that it was an issue of choice.

Yet significant abuse is occurring in Belgium. A 2010 study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal reported that in 32% of euthanasia cases in the Flanders region of Belgium there was no evidence of request or consent. Choice is clearly absent.

Using the same data the British Medical Journal also noted that 47.2% of euthanasia cases were not even reported. When the Belgian law provides an effective immunity to doctors who ‘do the paperwork’ it’s legitimate to wonder what’s really going on there.

Street should be concerned about improving the care of everyone in New Zealand and protecting people rather than removing protections in law and giving doctors the right to kill their patients.

More articles on the New Zealand euthanasia bill

- Dangers of euthanasia spelt out

- Debates on euthanasia. The soul of medicine is on trial

- Down Syndrome community opposes New Zealand euthanasia bill

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Twenty reasons not to feel too down about NZ losing the first cricket test

OK. It was a pretty dismal batting display. Granted. How could we be bowled out for 68 at Lords when we needed only 239 runs to win?

But as Kiwis and Black Caps supporters we need to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves down and look for the positives.

And for that we need to indulge in a little cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to help us believe that things could actually have been a lot worse.

So here are twenty things about the game to be thankful for (in no particular order but the second to last is definitely the most satisfying!) J

Yes of course I concede that this is really scraping the barrel and that not all relate to cricket, but hey, so what!

The key thing is that if you are a Kiwi you will feel better after reading this list.

1. We were still in the game after three days until we starting batting this morning

2. This was not our worst test performance this year. We only scored 45 in the first innings of the first test in South Africa in January.

3. Tim Southee (pictured) bowled well and became only the second New Zealander (after Dion Nash) to claim a ten-wicket haul in a Test at Lord's. 

4. None of the England eleven could score a century against us and they could only manage a total of 445 runs in two innings.

5. After Joe Root’s 71, Taylor’s 66 and Williamson’s 60 in the first innings were the second and third highest scores in the match.

6. Our 68 in the fourth innings was more than twice our worst ever test total of 26 (also against England) in Auckland in 1954-5.

7. We managed to take 20 wickets for the first time in a test since playing Sri Lanka last year.

8. We have scored lower totals at Lord’s against England on three previous occasions (47 in 1958 and 67 in 1958 and 1978).

9. We did notscore fewer runs than the highest ever total by a Kiwi number 11 batsman (Collinge’s 68no against Pakistan in 1972-3 in Auckland which I personally witnessed).

10. No Kiwi batsman scored a pair in the match (unlike Prior). OK I concede that Boult didn’t score any runs but he was not out in the second innings.

11. Anderson in the first innings and Broad in the second were in scintillating form and would have given anyone trouble. English captain Alistair Cook called it the best fast bowling he had ever seen and Broad said it was his best bowling ever. Kiwi skipper Brendon McCullum called it 'an hour of madness'.

12. England had to bat twice to beat us which South Africa did not have to do in either test in January.

13. We still drew with England in a three match series down under earlier this year so this is the first time they have managed to beat us in four attempts.

14.  It’s not like cricket is our premier sport – we are 8^thin the world rankings whilst England are 2^nd so they should rightfully thrash us.

15. We beat them by 189 runs in the Hamilton test in the 2007-8 season in New Zealand so a 170 run victory is nothing to brag about.

16. There are three New Zealand teams in the top six of the super fifteen after this weekend’s matches and we are still the rugby world cup champions.

17. We have just won the 2013 IRB rugby sevens for the 11^th time in 14 attempts with one tournament to spare.

18. We were the only football team to come home from the last world cup unbeaten. Not even the eventual winners Spain could match that.

19. We bowled England out for 64 in the final innings of the 1978 test in the Basin reserve when they only needed 137 to win the game. On that occasion Richard Hadlee took 6 for 26 against a team that included Boycott, Botham and Willis.

20. It’s only cricket!

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Why gay marriage was legalised in New Zealand but rejected in Australia (and what it means for the UK)

Australian golfer Adam Scott teamed up very effectively with New Zealand caddy Steve Williams to lift the US masters green jacket last weekend but the two South Pacific nations are poles apart when it comes to same sex marriage.

Australian members of parliament overwhelmingly rejected a bill that would have legalised gay marriages in September 2012 when the House of Representatives voted 98 to 42 against.

But New Zealand's parliament legalised same-sex marriage this week by a wide majority of 77 to 44, in the process becoming the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to do so.  

In so doing it becomes the 13th country in the worldto approve the measure joining the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Argentina and Uruguay.

So why should two countries with such a similar history, culture and ethnic profile come to such different conclusions? Indeed, given that Australia’s government is left of centre and New Zealand’s right, one might have reasonably expected the very opposite result.

The answer seems to boil down to leadership.

Both parliaments allowed a conscience vote but in New Zealand legalisation had the backing of both the Prime Minister John Key and leader of the opposition David Shearer.  

By contrast in Australia both Prime Minister Julia Gillard and opposition leader Tony Abbot voted against the bill.

Australian Marriage Equality national convener Rodney Croome has said that he expects as many as 1’000 gay couples will now cross the Tasman to get married: ‘Now that marriage equality is only three hours away there will be a flood of couples flying to New Zealand’.

But the Australian PM has remained adamant in her opposition telling a gay marriage supporter, ‘I doubt we're going to end up agreeing, I'm sorry’.

The fact that UK political leaders David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg are all strongly in support of legalisation means that the battle to stop it in the UK was always going to be hard fought.

But it is by no means over yet.

The opposition in Britain has been huge and the loss of support to the conservative party over the issue and the resignation of Cameron’s key advisor (and same sex marriage enthusiast) Andrew Cooper last week means that there is still everything to play for as the battle enters the House of Lords in June.

Ironically, Cooper’s resignation seems to be linked to Australian Lynton Crosby now being at the helm to secure the next election for the Tories.

Crosby has a past record of helping Boris Johnson and Australian PM John Howard to victory in the past and will no doubt be advising the British PM that same sex marriage is a vote loser.

There is no doubt that Cameron’s chances of winning the next election have been damaged by his support for gay marriage.

But if he backs down now his campaign to legalise it will lose huge momentum.

I wonder what he cherishes more – to win a reputation as a ‘moderniser’ or to hold on to political power.

Achieving both is looking increasingly not to be possible.

Let’s wait and see.

See also

Cameron divides his party and supporters over Same Sex Marriage Bill – full party breakdown of votes

Teachers will be sacked and children will be indoctrinated with gay rights propaganda if same sex marriage bill goes through

Ten reasons not to legalise same-sex marriage in Britain

Ten myths about the redefinition of marriage

Why legalizing same-sex marriage will weaken marriage as a social institution

Same-sex marriage - 24 articles on all aspects of the UK debate

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Brilliant triathlon result for promising young contender

I woke up this morning to the news on Radio Five Live that Jonathan Brownlee had come second in the men’s elite World Triathlon Grand Final in Auckland New Zealand.

This leaves him first overall in the series.

What they neglected to mention is that my cousin Elise Salt, running for New Zealand, came 8th in the Junior Women’s race.

Elise couldn’t wait to represent NZ at the Junior Elite World Champs and it seems like she didn’t hang about in the race itself, finishing just 31 seconds behind the winner.

And at only 17 she has another year in the category.

We are all incredibly proud of her and looking forward to seeing her in London next year!

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Christchurch earthquake one year on: Lest we forget

Today, 22 February, people across New Zealand have been holding memorial services to remember the 185 people who died in the powerful earthquake in Christchurch a year ago. Two minutes' silence were observed at 12:51 local time - the exact moment the 6.3-magnitude quake struck.

Prime Minister John Key said the tremor had ‘changed everything’, but had not broken the city's spirit.

The quake wrecked central Christchurch, and is considered the country's worst natural disaster in 80 years.

At a ceremony at North Hagley Park in Christchurch, tens of thousands gathered for a solemn and tearful memorial. Family members of the victims were seen joining arms and bowing their heads during the ceremony that included songs and speeches.

Governor General Jerry Mateparae read a message of condolence from Prince Charles, while a video from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was played. Earlier, a memorial was held in Christchurch's Latimer Square for families of the victims. Children released 185 monarch butterflies at the park in memory of those who died.

Speaking in the city, the prime minister said it had been one of New Zealand's darkest days.

Today, like many other New Zealanders, and especially those of us with a connection to Christchurch, I am reflecting and remembering.

In the days immediately following the quake I was in Nigeria where it was odd to see my birth-city so far away with its ruined buildings and smashed cathedral repeatedly featuring on CNN, BBC World Service and Al Jazeera amidst reports of the evolving situation in Libya and the Middle East.

I didn’t lose any friends or relatives in the quake. One by one they were all found to be alive and well, although all with their own stories of ‘that day’ to tell. I’m not aware even of any that were injured, although there were some very near misses and some, especially Christian medical colleagues, were involved in treating victims, in the rebuilding and in planning the longer term public health strategy.

I guess we all feel it more acutely when it involves the personal and familiar. But amidst the feelings of loss and grief, I have felt proud to be a New Zealander, and proud at the way my nation has responded.

To stand last year with 5,000 Kiwis at the Westminster Cathedral remembrance service in London, was quite special. To be at Twickenham shortly afterwards with my family to see my home team the Canterbury Crusaders, playing here because their home stadium had been destroyed, was a profoundly moving experience. And watching the videos of the Christchurch memorial service, and reading the newspaper clippings sent from home, touched me in a way I had not anticipated nor expected.

I wrote about the memorial services at the time, and subsequently reflected on the loss.

But today, one year on I am left thanking God that, by his mercy and grace, it was not worse than it was and I am reminded of the words of the 46th Psalm.

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea…
He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.’
The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

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Is this the best cricket catch ever?

New Zealand teenager Bevan Small, whose wonder catch has catapulted him to global celebrity, has played down the feat saying his focus is on making the first eleven of his provincial cricket team.

The video clip of Small's acrobatic catch for Central Stags against the Northern Knights in New Zealand’s 2020 competition has been replayed on television and websites around the world.

In England, The Guardian newspaper said the catch was ‘perhaps the greatest in the history of cricket’ while the US-based Huffington Post said it could ‘be the most amazing (and for many, only) cricket catch you'll ever see’.

What do you think?

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Arise Sir Richie! It was a tough fight but the right team won

By most reckonings New Zealand’s victory in the rugby world cup final last night should have been a mere formality.

The All Blacks were playing France, who they beat by 20 points in the pool stage of the competition, in front of a stadium of over 50,000 supporters at Eden Park, Auckland where they have not lost for 17 years.

They had been the most impressive team throughout the tournament by a distance, scoring 73 more points and 11 more tries than any other side. And they had just dispatched Australia, the world number two side and tri-nations champions 20 to 6 with a consummate display of all round skills in the semi-finals.

By contrast France had limped through to the finals, losing two pool games on the way, sneaking past Wales in the other semi-final by just one point after a controversial red card had left their opponents playing 60 minutes with 14 men.

But all New Zealanders, including the All Blacks themselves, approached this game with trepidation. France, unlike any other side, have the ability to lift their game for the big occasion, and in the 1999 and 2007 world cups had sent the All Blacks packing with inspired second half performances.

True to form, France lifted their game again for this final and, many would say, were perhaps unlucky not to have won. Instead they went down 8-7, denied by desperate All Black defence.

Like most Kiwis I found the whole experience unbelievably stressful. I felt elation at the end of course, but this was overshadowed by a feeling of profound relief.

After 24 years since the last world cup victory, the agony was finally over.

‘Not pretty’, as captain Richie McCaw said, but effective, and after all a win is a win.

This win makes it two-all for South Africa, Australia and New Zealand in world cups and is especially important for New Zealand because of the trauma the country has been through in the last year.

Just over a year ago an earthquake of 7.1, miraculously non-fatal, struck Christchurch on the same day that a plane crashed on the Fox glacier killing nine people. Two months later 29 died in the Pike River mining disaster and in February this year 181 died in a second Christchurch earthquake which destroyed most of the centre of the city.

On world scale these might not seem to be big numbers, but for a small country of 4 million people they were devastating. And the damage from the current ongoing oil spill from the stranded container ship Rena, off the North Island’s east coast, had added insult to injury.

In addition all New Zealanders felt the pressure to throw off our reputation for under performing at world cups.

New Zealanders are rubgy’s leading points scorers of all time and the only international team with a winning record against every test nation they have ever played. The All Blacks have held the top ranking in the world for longer than all other countries combined and in over 100 years only five of the top twenty ranked test rugby nations have ever beaten them.

New Zealand competes annually with Australia and South Africa in the Tri Nations competition, and has won the trophy a record ten times in its 16 year history. They have also completed a northern hemisphere Grand Slam four times (in 1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010), defeating all four Home Nations (England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland) during one tour. Ireland and Scotland have never beaten them.

They have won a record 75% of all rugby matches they have ever played since 1903 and they were named the International Rugby Board (IRB) Team of the Year in 2005, 2006, 2008 and a record fourth time in 2010. In the decade from 2000–2009, New Zealand won 100 Tests (82% winning percentage). They won 15 consecutive Tests at one point and recorded a world record 30 straight wins at home.

In view of New Zealand’s dominance, their lack of success in world cups has been one of the great mysteries of modern sporting history.

France was truly magnificent last night. By contrast, the All Blacks stuttered and probably put in their worst performance of the tournament, missing three out of four kicks at goal and having only 45% of the possession.

But the result was the right one for the country and for international rugby. Apart from captain McCaw, who has finally won in his third and last world cup, probably the happiest man on the pitch last night was New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, who faces a national election on 26 November. Losing their third fly half in the tournament during the match made things even harder. But it was perhaps ironic that their fourth choice Stephen Donald, kicked the winning goal.

If the All Blacks had lost last night he could have effectively written off his chances. But now, with the change in national morale this victory will bring, perhaps he still has at least a fighting chance.

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