ACT leader David Seymour has made a passionate plea for his bill to legalise euthanasia during its first debate in Parliament tonight.
Mr Seymour spoke for ten minutes outlining the moral and legal issues surrounding the controversial topic of legalising euthanasia.
The ACT leader outlined how the bill may end up affecting some of those present in the House tonight.
"Some of us will get ill and it may turn out to be terminal, but half a dozen of us will die badly, anyone of us in this Parliament could find ourselves in that situation," he said.
Mr Seymour said "the current situation is an absurdity" where it's legal in New Zealand to refuse food and treatment in order to end the suffering brought on by a terminal illness, but it's illegal to choose the right to have an assisted death by a health professional.
"It's wrong in 2017 that under the laws made by this House we tolerate a status quo where people suffer needlessly," he told the House.
Mr Seymour believes euthanasia has the support of 75 per cent of Kiwis and hopes it will make it to the select committee.
Speaking after Mr Seymour, National leader Bill English voiced his opposition to the bill.
The National leader said he was opposed to all forms of assisting dying, but David Seymour’s bill especially lacks safe-guards for vulnerable New Zealanders
"It removes a principle that is at the core of the law written to protect everybody, particularly the most vulnerable and that is the blanket prohibition against taking the life of another," he said.
Mr Seymour says he isn't against an amendment to his bill, adding the issue could go to a public referendum. If it passes its first reading, the public can also have their say at select committee.
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