New Zealand Parliament passes euthanasia bill

WELLINGTON - New Zealand Parliament has passed a bill legalising voluntary euthanasia on Wednesday night and a final decision on assisted dying will be decided by a referendum in next year's general election.

Members of the Parliament went through conscience voting 69 to 51 in favour of the euthanasia bill, which allows terminally ill adults to request assisted dying.

The euthanasia bill, or End of Life Choice Bill, sponsored by Act Party leader David Seymour, was introduced to the New Zealand parliament in June 2017. The bill received a record of 39,000 submissions from the New Zealand public.

The bill passed first reading in December 2017. A second reading was passed in June 2019. Last month the bill was amended to require a referendum at the upcoming 2020 general election to formally become a law if the bill passed final reading.

A poll in July found there was 72 percent backing for some kind of assisted dying for the terminally ill among the New Zealand public.