A campaign manager for Hannah Tamaki's Coalition New Zealand Party [Hannah Tamaki has become the leader of a new political party, Coalition New Zealand. It is not a Christian party but it is strong on "family values" - DPN] has called for the Government to introduce involuntary euthanasia for pedophiles who are repeat offenders.
Jevan Goulter, who told the Herald his personal views don't necessarily represent the political party's stance, says its time for New Zealand to discuss the death penalty and involuntary euthanasia, alongside David Seymour's End of Life Bill after passing its 2nd reading.
The campaign manager originally took to social media stating he wanted the euthanasia bill killed and the reintroduction of the death penalty for pedophiles who are repeat offenders.
"Kill the Euthanasia Bill, reintroduce the 1961 death penalty for third time offenders," he said in a video.
"If we're already talking about euthanasia, something that's going to threaten our most vulnerable people in this country, the elderly, people with Alzheimer's, dementia patients, people with disabilities, people that suffer from depression and mental illnesses, then should we not just throw a few of these pedophiles who commit heinous crimes against our children?
"We should save $100,000 of taxpayers money that it cost us to hold them in jail and just damn well euthanise the bastards! If we're going to talk about human life, they're the ones who deserve it."
Following Goulter's strong stance the Herald contacted Destiny Church, run by Hannah and Brian Tamaki, who said the church is currently undertaking its own research on euthanasia and don't yet have a formal position regarding the debate.
During the launch of the Coalition NZ Party in May, Hannah Tamaki highlighted potential issues surrounding euthanasia, marijuana and late-term abortions.
However, in an interview with the Herald, Goulter, who works for Coalition NZ, said the party is yet to formalise any stance on euthanasia but says it will be a topic raised between party members.
Keen to elaborate on his own views, Goulter says if the country is "intelligent enough" to discuss euthanasia then a debate around the death penalty needs to be had.
He told the Herald the term euthanasia is just an "umbrella" term for many forms of death, including "involuntary euthanasia", and believes New Zealanders need to have a more in-depth discussion around the topic before making a final decision.
"As a country, if we believe ourselves to be intelligent enough to have a discussion around euthanasia, why not open the door and put other things on the table at the same time.
"One of the reasons they got rid of the death penalty is because it was inhumane. But we're in 2019 now and it wouldn't be inhumane because you wouldn't be giving voluntary euthanasia to people if it was inhumane.
"You'd be giving them the same thing as the death penalty. So it's no longer inhumane.
"When it comes to children I'm calling for 3 strikes and you're out. if our justice system gets it wrong 3 times then there is something wrong with that.
"People say euthanasia is completely different to the death penalty because you're aiding those who suffer from terminal or incurable illness, but my argument is when you look at the definition of euthanasia it's an umbrella word for voluntary euthanasia, involuntary euthanasia and non-voluntary euthanasia.
"If we're going to debate euthanasia, we are also really debating involuntary euthanasia which is similar to the death penalty.
"We have a lot of problems in New Zealand, such as poverty, a lack of homes. What makes it okay to spend $90,000-$100,000 a year to home pedophiles in jail, then let them out to potentially reoffend again.
"At what point do we say it's not our job to take human life. But then we decide we're going to allow euthanasia anyway, so I'm saying why the hell would you allow a pedophile out to go and screw with a child's innocence just for the sake you want to take the moral high ground on human life.
"It's hypocrisy from people who support voluntary euthanasia but don't support involuntary euthanasia."
The last person to be executed was Walter James Bolton, for poisoning his wife, on 18 February 1957.
Walter maintained his innocence right until his last breath, which raised questions about whether capital punishment was inhumane.
The death penalty in New Zealand was abolished in 1961.
END OF LIFE BILL
David Seymour's End of Life Bill allows people with less than 6 months to live or with a grievous and irremediable medical condition to have a lethal dose of medication to cause death, although Seymour has said he will put up an amendment to ensure it applies only to people to people with 6 months to live.
To be eligible, the patient must meet the above conditions and be in an advanced state of irreversible decline in capability and experiencing unbearable suffering, be aged at least 18 and be a New Zealand citizen or resident.
The patient must initiate the request to their attending medical practitioner who must seek an independent second opinion and, if either of them doubt the competence of the patient, get a third from a psychiatrist or psychologist.
However, the bill faces a number of hurdles, including from opponents who are pledging to table more than a hundred amendments during the committee stages.
Source: New Zealand Herald, Staff, July 8, 2019
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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde