The End of Life Choice Bill was drawn from the Member’s Ballot on 8 June
2017.
- The Attorney-General published a report on whether the End of Life Choice
Bill is in line with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act and found that it
discriminates on the basis of age. - The first reading on the Bill passed with 76 votes in favour and 44 votes
against on 13 December 2017. MP Simon O’Connor requested that every MP
who wishes to speak would be allowed to do so, but another MP objected. - Parliament’s Justice Committee accepted submissions from the public until 6
March 2018. - The Committee considered 39,159 submissions – the most Parliament has
ever received on any bill or issue. The Committee heard oral evidence from
1,350 submitters (77 organisations and 1,273 individuals) at hearings in
Whangarei, Auckland, Tauranga, Rotorua, Hamilton, New Plymouth,
Whanganui, Napier, Palmerston North, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch,
Dunedin, and Invercargill. See page 9 of their report. - A full analysis of the written submissions revealed that over 90% of
submissions were opposed to the End of Life Choice Bill. Over 93 % of
submissions from health professionals were opposed. Over 90% of total
submissions made no reference to religious arguments. - An analysis of all the published oral submissions found that 85% were
opposed to the Bill and contrary to claims, 79 % made no reference to
religious arguments. - The Committee’s report on the End of Life Choice Bill was published on 9
April 2019. - The second reading passed with 70 votes in favour and 50 votes against on
26 June. - The Committee of the House stage started on 31 July with a debate on Part
1 of the Bill. - Part 2 of the Bill was debated on 21 August and voting on Part 2 continued on
11 September. - Part 3 was debated on 11 September.
- Disabled people petitioned Parliament in support of Supplementary Order
Paper No 381. The petition requested that disabled people and others be
given the choice to receive services only from health professionals who don’t
engage in ‘assisted dying’. The amendment was rejected by Parliament. - Part 4 of the Bill was debated on 25 September.
- Clauses 1 (title) and 2 (commencement) were debated on 23 October.
Parliament decided (63 votes in favour and 57 opposed) that if the bill were
passed by Parliament, there would be a binding referendum to decide
whether the Bill would come into force a year later. - In total, 114 Supplementary Order Papers were proposed. Only three passed
(the one proposed by David Seymour and the two on the referendum
proposed by Jenny Marcroft). Of the 111 amendments that were rejected, 110
were from opponents to the Bill. - On 13 November 2019 Parliament voted 69 votes to 51 in favour of its third
reading - The End of Life Choice Bill became the End of Life Choice Act 2019 on 16
November 2019. - A binding referendum at the 2020 general election decided whether the End
of Life Choice Act 2019 would come into force (start operating as law). The
referendum passed 65% to 33%.
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