the politicians
David Seymour
I
t took 25 years from when Michael Laws’ Death with Dignity Bill was heavily defeated in Parliament until the End of Life Choice Act was ratified by the New Zealand public. It’s been a journey. Parliament’s laws require one person to put their name on a Members’ Bill, and I’m proud mine was on the End of Life Choice Bill. Democracy is drawn from the Greek words for ‘people’ and ‘power’, and this law passed thanks to the power of many people. I particularly want to thank you, my neighbours in the Epsom electorate, who sent me to Parliament. Without you, the End of Life Choice Act wouldn’t have been possible. There are many others who deserve thanks. Perhaps none braver than Lecretia Seales, who took the cause to the High Court despite painful brain cancer. I could add to that list the many long-time campaigners, fellow MPs, and the almost two million voters who ratified the law. I believe this law has made NZ a gentler, more compassionate and humane society. People who might have faced excruciating death will be able to choose control and dignity. Better still, we’ve done it based on classical liberal values, that a person should be able to do as they please so long as they are not harming anyone else. Of course, not everyone shares this view. If you’re in that camp, and you’re still reading, I want to make peace with you. If you oppose the law on moral or spiritual grounds, that is ok. Nobody is asking you to agree with or practise assisted dying. It is a choice, and nobody will expect you to choose it. The law forbids any doctor from even raising the topic with you. You are being asked, however, to accept a choice that others may make. I hope you’ll agree this is not only reasonable but very normal. We do this in so many facets of life that all of us rely on others’ tolerance for at least some of our personal choices. The second kind of objection goes something more like: “I wouldn’t mind if it was a choice, but what if it’s not a real choice for some people?” I understand these objections because I used to share them. The evidence changed my mind. No country that has legalised assisted dying has ever gone back. The Netherlands has had a much more liberal assisted dying law than ours for 20 years. Only six per cent of the population oppose the law, which the Royal Dutch Medical Association supports. If even one of the terrible things people like to say about these laws were true, how come so few oppose the law? Either the Dutch are more different than we realised, or the law is safe. Of course there is a much wider debate than I could cover here but I think the international experience makes the point. These laws are safe, and ours is at the more conservative end of the international spectrum. To change gears slightly, a few people have playfully suggested that, since ACT has some more elected MPs, I may be too busy to help Epsom people with local issues. Sacrilege. So long as I’m the MP for Epsom, that will be my main job. The first thing I said to the cameras on election night was “Thank you to my neighbours in the Epsom electorate for re-electing me. My electorate office will be open to serve you on Monday morning. 27 Gillies Ave. 522 7464. mpepsom@parliament.govt.nz”. If I can ever be helpful, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Paul Goldsmith
A
year like no other. 2020, when we learned about coronavirus; ‘social distancing’, ‘lockdowns’, Zoom conferences, the challenges of wearing a face mask without fogging up our glasses. Those memorable weeks of glorious late summer, when most of us were on a forced holiday of sorts. When it was safe to ride a bike down the centre of Remuera Rd. A year when many Kiwis emerged financially unscathed or indeed prospered, while many other Kiwis – especially small business owners in hospitality or tourism – felt intense pain and despair. The axe fell seemingly randomly. A year when government spending a billion dollars became a mere trifle. A year when one wit said in a speech I heard that he’d put more alcohol on his hands than down his throat. A good year for book sellers, as many people rediscovered the joys of reading during lockdown. I myself knocked off the last two books of Hilary Mantel’s series on Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII – politics hasn’t changed that much, but thankfully now the losers don’t get their heads chopped off. A year when our remoteness from the world and small population became a distinct advantage – the beautiful Pacific Ocean a moat protecting us from the ravages we watched daily on our TV screens or smartphones. And a brutal year for the National Party, starting off in February ahead in the polls and winding up steamrolled. I bumped into a former All Blacks’ coach in an Epsom carpark soon after the election. “Paul,” he said, “One word: disunity. That’s what did it for you.” It’s hard to argue with that. And so, we go into summer suitably humbled and reflective; a smaller team, but still with a burning desire to restore our fighting power. For the challenges facing our country haven’t gone away. It is possible to put off the pain for most people when the government is borrowing around $1 billion a week – but we can’t keep doing that forever. Nor can we be complacent about the competitiveness of our economy. The returned government has a focus on redistributing wealth, but it cannot ignore the fact that the wealth first has to be created. My thanks go to the people of the Epsom electorate who, against a ripping red tide, still gave their all-important party vote to National. On election night, the seat returned the highest party vote to National in the country. To those who went elsewhere, we’ll work hard to win you back over the next three years. Congratulations to The Hobson for navigating its way through such a difficult year. All the best for summer, and here’s hoping that 2021 brings better times both in our country and around the world. Paul Goldsmith is a National list MP based in Epsom
David Seymour is the MP for Epsom the hobson 22
