A Rundown of the End of Life Choice Referendum: September 22, 2020

The End of Life Choice Referendum is a public vote on whether assisted dying under the End of Life Choice Act 2019 should become part of the law in Aotearoa. If a majority vote "yes" in the referendum, the Act will come into force and if a majority vote "no", the Act will not be able to be accessed. 

Jemima Huston explores the number of social and moral issues that surround the Act and assisted dying such as the input of family in the decision, coercion, the responsibility of doctors to preserve life vs. end life, the right for a doctor to opt out and the short "cooling down" period between prescribing and administering a lethal dose. 

ACT Party Deputy Leader Brooke van Velden and University of Auckland Associate Professor of Clinical Medical Ethics Phillipa Malpas provide an insight into these issues and help breakdown what exactly we are voting for in the End of Life Choice Referendum.