A Claytons euthanasia bill

The Herald reports:

Labour MP Louisa Wall says her proposed law change to legalise assisted dying in New Zealand will not go into the private member’s bill ballot.

Why not? There is no other way to get it considered into law. Both National and Labour have said they won’t do a Government bill, so the members’ bills ballot is the way to do it.

Instead, she hopes her Authorised Dying Bill would inform Parliament of an alternative way to proceed with voluntary euthanasia.

In a rare move for a sitting MP, Wall tabled the proposed bill yesterday at a select committee which is considering public attitudes to euthanasia in New Zealand. …

The bill would allow terminally people with 12 months to live to apply to an ethics committee to get access to assisted dying.

Only the patient could apply to the committee, which would be made up of experts from medical, psychiatric, ethics, Maori tikanga, disability, elderly care, and legal fields. 

The bill looks well considered and a useful contribution to the debate. But if you want an actual law change, rather than just debate, you need it in the ballot.