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New Zealanders have voted to legalize euthanasia for those who are terminally ill, in a landslide victory for activists who say that anyone in extreme pain should have the option to choose how and when to end their life.
The decision on whether to legalize euthanasia appeared as a referendum question on the October 17 general election ballot, along with a second referendum question on whether to legalize cannabis, which was unsuccessful, according to preliminary results.
The results of the referendum on euthanasia are binding and the law will enter into force 12 months after the final results, on November 6, 2021. Assisted death will be administered by the Ministry of Health.
In preliminary results announced by the electoral commission on Friday, 65.2% of eligible voters marked “yes” to the legalization of euthanasia, and 33.8% marked “no.”
Only 46.1% of New Zealanders voted in favor of legalizing cannabis, while 53.1% voted against, meaning that the legislation will not go through parliament.
The referendum results do not include nearly half a million special votes, which means that the final results will not be confirmed until November 6.
This has left cannabis supporters hoping that special votes could tip the outcome, but it would have to be an overwhelming yes, a result seen as meager.
For years, support for euthanasia has hovered around the 60-70% mark in polls, with widespread support across the political spectrum, from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to opposition leader Judith Collins.
The vote makes New Zealand the seventh country in the world to legalize assisted death, and it was a “momentous day” for the country, activist Mary Panko said.
“It is now clear what we have known for decades that Kiwis want, and have always wanted, the right to die on their own terms,” said Panko.
“One day New Zealanders will shake their heads in amazement that the basic human right to say ‘no’ to intolerable suffering has had to be debated in this country … now, because of the passage of this law, our lives and our deaths they will be immeasurably better. “
The referendum follows the approval of the End-of-Life Election Law in parliament in 2019. The law would allow terminally ill people to apply for the end of life. Although it was passed, it would only go into effect if more than 50% of the voters marked “yes” on the referendum ballot, the preliminary results of which indicated yes.
The law outlines the criteria for who can run to end their life, including who are over 18 years old, are citizens of New Zealand, have a terminal illness that ends their life within six months, “have a significant and continuous decline in physical capacity ”, they are“ enduring unbearable suffering that cannot be alleviated ”and are in a position to make an“ informed decision ”about their death.
Those with mental illness or decline would not be eligible, nor would those applying solely because of their “old age” or a disability. Two doctors, one independent, would have to approve the decision, and a psychiatrist would be called if any of the doctors had any doubts.
ACT MP David Seymour, who sponsored the bill, has been a tireless activist for euthanasia, saying that New Zealand has consistently become “decades” behind the most progressive countries in the world.
“I think it is time for New Zealand to move towards a more compassionate and tolerant society,” Seymour told The Guardian.
“People continue to suffer in a traumatic way. I don’t want to have to suffer to adhere to someone else’s morality. They have their own body if they want to die a horrible death. “
While the results of the referendum on euthanasia are binding, the cannabis issue was not, meaning that regardless of the outcome, the government would still need to debate the issue and pass the policy in parliament.
In the run-up to the October elections, polls showed a divided country; with the support for the legalization of cannabis that ranges between 30 and 50%.
Voters were asked to decide if they wanted to pass a bill that would legalize cannabis and regulate how it is used and sold. This would include producing and selling fresh and dried cannabis, including plants and seeds, for people over the age of 20. The change would impose stricter restrictions than the rules on the sale of alcohol and tobacco.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has repeatedly refused to state her position on cannabis, but said she would reveal her vote once the official results were made public.
Ardern recently said that he has used cannabis “a long time ago.”
Former Labor Prime Minister Helen Clark said that cannabis prohibition “does not work” and should be abandoned, a position shared by many prominent public health professionals.
Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in New Zealand, and the latest New Zealand Health Survey found that 15%, or 590,000 New Zealand adults used cannabis in the past 12 months.
Victoria, from university criminologist Fiona Hutton, has worked on harm reduction with cannabis users and said the negative vote meant that “New Zealand’s most vulnerable and marginalized people will continue to suffer.”
“I’m pretty devastated, to be honest, very, very sad,” Hutton said.
“People voted no to protect the young and the mentally ill. None of that will happen. All the damages of decriminalization will continue unabated. “
Maori make up 16% of New Zealand’s population and are shown to be disproportionately affected by New Zealand drug laws, facing three times more arrests and prosecutions for cannabis possession than non-Maori.
