Still fighting for right to choose

LESLEY MARTIN visited Te Awamutu last week and says she’s willing to speak to other local organisations in October about Dignity NZ Trust and what voluntary euthanasia legislation would mean (email admin@dignitynz.co.nz). TC180708GJ01

Voluntary euthanasia campaigner says she’s ‘not allowed to quit’

BY GRANT JOHNSTON

Lesley Martin may have served time in prison for assisting her mother to achieve a merciful end, but she is far from released from her ‘call to duty’ yet.

Ms Martin was in town last week talking to Te Awamutu Grey Power and Te Awamutu Rotary about the Dignity NZ Trust and issues surrounding voluntary euthanasia. She told the Courier that there are a lot of misconceptions about what a voluntary euthanasia law would entail.

‘‘Some people think that it would mean as soon as ‘nana’ sneezes, she would be ‘knocked off’. We are travelling the country informing New Zealanders directly about what we propose as the best environment for end-of-life choices. We are advocating a combination of palliative care and legalised voluntary euthanasia. ‘We are not out to replace Hospice — we respect the fantastic job that Hospice does and that for many people Hospice provides everything they need. We believe everyone’s opinions and philosophies about end-of-life choices should be respected and upheld. We are not here to change anyone’s point of view, or to insult it.’’

Dignity NZ Trust has a vision of ‘Dignity Havens’ — where palliative care would be provided alongside ‘‘opportunities to explore information about end-of-life choices’’ and access to advice from medical and other professionals on voluntary euthanasia. Care would be provided either in a haven, in home care or within the hospital environment according to an individual’s personal circumstances and wishes.

‘‘People would be able to discuss ending their lives with dignity without having to apologise. There would be a right to choose, and receive an assisted death under robust and safe-guarded legislation,’’ Ms Martin says. ‘‘We envisage eight regional Dignity Havens throughout the country, with the first built in the Waikato/Bay of Plenty, because of the strong interest here and the area’s demographics. It would be accessed by people from places like Gisborne, Taumarunui and Te Awamutu, as well as the big centres like Hamilton and Tauranga.’’

This would obviously require the introduction of a new law allowing voluntary euthanasia. Dignity NZ is a registered charitable trust which was initiated in 2003 by Lesley Martin as EXIT NZ, following the failure of the Death with Dignity Bill in Parliament. It was re-branded in 2005 as Dignity NZ Trust.

A database of 500 doctors who indicated they would work with Dignity NZ was established. Some of the 200 financial supporters who have signed up to Dignity NZ Trust are terminally ill and they may not be here to see the organisation’s visions accomplished — but they believe strongly in establishing the framework for others to have the legal right to make their own end-of-life choices in the best environment possible. Dignity NZ hopes to have the first Dignity Haven up and operating inside five years.

‘‘We have a growing number of clergy supporting us and we have started dialogue with Maori and other ethnic groups about their cultural requirements.’’

Ms Martin says there has been a significant shift in societal thinking. In 1995 a voluntary euthanasia bill was defeated 61/29 in the House, while in 2003 the vote was 60 against/58 for.

‘‘The planets are beginning to align. Part of our driving philosophy behind establishing the framework for Havens is to make the choice (on how to vote) for politicians more comfortable — given the knowledge appropriate structures will be put in place.’’

There has also been a shift in attitudes towards voluntary euthanasia within the Justice System—evidenced by the jury’s formal request for leniency for Taumarunui man Ian Crutchley, who was recently sentenced to six months community detention and 150 hours community service.

When Lesley Martin’s mother Joy Martin died in 1999 after a battle with cancer, her daughter was subjected to a 10 month homicide inquiry. During that time she wrote an account of the role she played in her mother’s death — that of a committed and loving daughter caught between lack of humane legislation to assist her mother in her wishes not to suffer a prolonged and lingering death, and a promise she had made to her mother that she would not let her suffer.

Once the Police inquiry was completed with no further action taken Lesley Martin had a decision to make — whether to remain quiet, heal and move on with her life or whether to add her voice to the growing movement in favour of voluntary euthanasia legislation.

Over a period of three years she reached the decision that she would write about the truth, talk about the truth and endure whatever the consequences of that were. She published ‘To Die Like a Dog — the personal face of the euthanasia debate’ in September, 2002.

The same day that the Death with Dignity Private Members Bill was drawn from the ballot box on March 6, 2003 she was arrested and charged with attempted murder. She was convicted and served seven and a half months in Arohata Women’s Prison.

‘‘I never wanted mum to die, nor did I ever want her to suffer. It was a huge psychological crisis that I never believed I would be subjected to. I have invested too much of myself into this and I’ve come to realise just how many people rely on Dignity NZ to succeed on their behalf. I’m not allowed to quit even if I wanted to.’’