Chloe Swarbrick and Simeon Brown offer different views on upcoming referendums

October 15, 2020

Greens MP Chlöe Swarbrick, 26, and National's Simeon Brown, 29, also share why they got into politics.

From opposite ends of the political spectrum, New Zealand's two youngest MPs clashed in the final TVNZ1's Breakfast political panel before the 2020 election.

Greens MP Chlöe Swarbrick, 26, and National's Simeon Brown, 29, shared their thoughts on both referendums.

Vying to win back his Pakarunga seat, Brown told Breakfast he's voting no on both referendums.

He called the End of Life Choice Bill, which is a binding referendum, a "risky law" which opens up opportunity for people to "have their lives taken against their will".

"I think there's a number of flaws in the bill or the law that we're voting on and particularly around coercion and the risk around that. Personally I think doctors should be in the business of helping people not in the business of ending their lives.

"I don't think we should be in a position where doctors are having to make those decisions."

However, Swarbrick - who's standing in Auckland Central - fired back that it wouldn't be the doctors making the calls and that they would have the opportunity to opt-out.  

"For me it was really important that we ensured that those safeguards were there," the Auckland Central candidate said.

"I think it's also about saying right now we have quite a substantive grey area in this country where those who work in palliation know that they can prescribe and give somebody morphine that accelerates death but what is that clarifying distinction?."

Swarbrick is also voting in favour of the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill, which is not binding.

She said there was a 100 per cent black market when it comes to the sale and supply of cannabis right now.

"This will over time move towards getting rid of it, yes.

"Prohibition is not stopping anybody from using cannabis and in fact what we have with this control and regulation of sale and supply is an opportunity to intervene in problematic usage, those mental health issues that actually already exist."

Meanwhile, Brown said he was also in the 'no' vote for cannabis, adding legalisation would normalise use of the drug, in particular for young people or those with mental health issues.

"I don't think it's going to make our country safer or healthier."

However, he said if National makes it into Government and it passes they would put it to a select committee.


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