The vast majority of New Zealanders support euthanasia, according to the latest Newshub Reid Research poll.
A Bill to legalise assisted dying is currently before Parliament and it has 71 percent of the country's support, with 19.5 percent against it and 9.5 percent unsure.
Written by ACT MP David Seymour, the End of Life Choices Bill seeks to give adults suffering a terminal illness or a grievous or incurable medical condition the option of medically assisted death.
The Bill passed its first reading in December through a conscience vote - 76 MPs voted in favour and 44 voted against.
The Bill argues some people are suffering unbearably at the end of their lives, and allows adults suffering from a terminal or irremediable illness to ask for a medically assisted death.
It's currently being examined by Parliament's Justice Select Committee, which is due to report back to the House in September.
Under the End of Life Choice Bill, a person wishing to end their own life must meet all of the following criteria:
- be 18 or older
- suffer from a terminal or grievous and irremediable illness
- or be in an advanced state of irreversible decline
- be in unbearable pain that can't be helped by medication
- be of sound mind to give consent
If those criteria are met, the applicant must be assessed by two doctors.
Assisted-dying legislation has been debated in Parliament twice before, first in 1995 and then in 2003.
It was defeated at the first reading both times.
Newshub-Reid Research interviews were conducted using online polling and computer-assisted telephone interviewing. One thousdand people were interviewed - 750 by phone and 250 online - between Thursday, January 18 and Sunday, January 28.
Data is weighted to ensure a cross-section of representation of age, gender and geography.
The sample error is a maximum of +/-3.1 percent.
Newshub.
