Family First NZ says that any bill to decriminalise euthanasia would lead to disabled, sick and elderly people coming to be viewed as a burden upon the taxpayer, society and their families – and that it would send a dangerous message to young people about suicide and the value of life.

“A Sunday Star Times poll is trying to suggest that there is support for a law change – but hard and exceptional cases result in bad lawmaking, and this poll is inconsistent with other more independent and reliable polls,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“We should be focusing on making quality palliative and social care available – not promoting killing as an easy solution to a complex situation. In a culture of euthanasia, disabled, sick, socially disadvantaged, and elderly people come to be viewed as a burden upon the taxpayer, society and their families.”

“This is not a ‘rights’ issue. This is a medical debate and how we better care for the weak and vulnerable in our society,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“The safeguards which are suggested may sound good, but international experience has shown that they often don’t become reality. Despite written consent laws in Netherlands and Belgium, up to a 1/3’rd of euthanasia cases were carried out without request or consent. Despite mandatory reporting requirements, in Belgium, nearly half of all cases aren’t reported. In the Netherlands, at least 20 per cent of all cases aren’t reported.”

“There is also huge concern about the slippery slope effect. Why deny euthanasia to a patient who was suffering but who was not terminally ill, such as someone with severe arthritis? Why deny euthanasia to people who were not sick but who wanted to die for other reasons, such as the loss of a beloved spouse, or animal, or because of long-term unemployment? Or an unhappy teenager who is simply unhappy with their life? This is the exact opposite message to that which governments, educators, therapists and social workers are trying to reinforce.

In England in 2006, over 70 percent of members of the Royal College of Physicians (and over 95 percent of those in the specialty of palliative medicine) agreed with the following statement: “With improvements in palliative care, good clinical care can be provided within existing legislation and …patients can die with dignity. A change in legislation is not needed.”

“The sick and dying deserve care and protection – not an underlying message that euthanasia will fix everything,” says Bob McCoskrie

ENDS

For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

Bob McCoskrie – National Director

Mob. 027 55 555 42

MEDIA RELEASE

“Full-time parenting should be seen as a child’s right.”

“New Zealand should undergo a timely and long overdue re-evaluation of motherhood.” – Dr Aric Sigman

A new report examining daycare, and the new generation of research from the biosciences, argues that policymakers and governments are not presenting the full picture of the real-time effects of extended daycare on children.

The report “WHO CARES? Mothers, Daycare and Child Wellbeing in New Zealand” was commissioned by the family group Family First NZ, and prepared by UK psychologist Dr Aric Sigman. Dr Sigman is a Fellow of the Society of Biology, and an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society. He has addressed the European Parliament Working Group on the Quality of Childhood in the European Union in Brussels, and has also presented research to the same group on the impact of electronic media on child and adolescent health. He authored a 2011 report, also commissioned by Family First, on the medical evidence of alcohol on young people, and which called for the drinking age in NZ to be raised to 21.

In “WHO CARES?”, Dr Sigman argues that attending daycare for an extended time, and the consequent separation from parents, is a significant source of stress for many young children which could have potential long-term consequences for their mental and physical health as adults. He argues that what has previously proved elusive is an understanding of how the young child is affected emotionally and physiologically, and how they experience day care while they are actually there.

“There is growing evidence of profound beneficial neurobiological effects a mother’s physical presence has on her young child that cannot be achieved by anyone else including paid childcare workers,” says Dr Sigman. “Mothers have been undervalued. NZ should undergo a timely and long overdue re-evaluation of motherhood.”

Full-time parenting should be seen as a child’s right, and any discussion of daycare should cease communicating what is assumed adults are interested in and instead make judgments about what is likely to be in children’s best interests. Terms, such as ‘family-friendly policies’, ‘flexi-hours’ and ‘maternity leave’ often amount to meeting the needs of the parent and the economy, not the child.”

The report makes a number of recommendations including:

• discussions of childcare must have the wellbeing of the child as the main priority, not parental guilt
• the current bias whereby the government invests in professionals to care for children while offering no tax breaks or economic incentives for parents who sacrifice careers and income to be full-time carers for their young children should be removed
• full-time mothers should be recognised and valued, and full-time parenting should be seen as a child’s right
• the quality of care should not be used to override or distract attention from the unavoidable fundamental issue of the quantity of care
• paid parental leave should be extended considerably so that parents are not compelled to compromise good parenting because they have to work full-time to survive financially.

Family First is welcoming the report, and says that with government spending on early childhood education almost tripling in the past ten years, it is essential that the benefits of the investment in ECE are weighed against the real needs of children and their families – based on the latest research.

“This report provides compelling evidence that the political and policy focus has been on the needs of the economy and the demands on mothers, rather than on the welfare of children and the vital role of parents,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

The Full Report can be downloaded from www.familyfirst.org.nz

ENDS

For More Information and Media Interviews, contact:

Bob McCoskrie – National Director Family First NZ    Mob. 027 555 5542

Dr Sigman is also available for interview (UK-based)