There are fears that New Zealand's disabled people are not adequately protected by the proposed End of Life Choice Act, with just two days left to vote in the euthanasia referendum.
Not Dead Yet Aotearoa convenor Wendi Wicks, an advocate against the legalisation of assisted dying, says the criteria is not clear-cut.
To be eligible, a person must be aged 18 or over, be a resident or citizen of New Zealand, be of sound mind and have a terminal illness that's likely to end their life within six months. The proposed Bill declares that an individual would not be eligible if mental illness, disability or advanced age was their reason for seeking euthanasia.
Yet Wicks says there are not enough protections in place, saying many people with disabilities will acquire more than one condition or impairment throughout their life - meaning they could still possibly be eligible for assisted dying despite their disability.
"There's no fine line between 'disability only' and other conditions. You can be disabled and have a condition that makes you eligible," Wicks told The AM Show on Thursday morning.
"Pretending that we're safe, when we're actually not, is kind of a figment. It's mean to suggest that we will be safe."
Watch the full interview above.
