\u2022 The Act only requires a doctor to \u201cdo their best to ensure that the person expresses their wish free from pressure.\u201d However, the Act fails to outline how this happens. Doctors are not trained to detect coercion and are further limited in their ability to detect coercion because, unlike the Netherlands, they cannot interview others without the patient\u2019s permission.
\u2022 Requests for an assisted death are often motivated by depression, something that is also extremely difficult to detect. There is no mandatory screening for depression in the Act.
\u2022 In the Netherlands and Belgium, disabled people and people who are mentally ill were not initially eligible. However, assisted death is now offered to people with mental illnesses and dementia, and to disabled people. The same changes will likely happen here.
The EOLC Act is badly drafted and seriously flawed. Whatever one\u2019s views about the idea of euthanasia, it is not \u2018compassion\u2019 to vote for a dangerous law.See:
www.riskylaw.nz\/www.votesafe.nz\/ww.carealliance.org,nz\/www.nathaniel.org.nz
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