Bidois DanDAN BIDOIS (National—Northcote): It's a pleasure; it's a real honour and a privilege to speak on the End of Life Choice Bill in the second reading. This is my first speech on this bill so I'd like to start out by certainly acknowledging my friend and the sponsor of this bill David Seymour. I've known David since university and I know him to be a man of great conviction and a true believer of his values; so I do want to acknowledge you in the House today. I also want to acknowledge everybody on the Justice Committee who have heard many many thousands of submissions—in particular Raymond Huo and Maggie Barry. To all the people on the select committee: you've done a fantastic job in making sure that their voices have been heard and that we have been well informed on this bill. I want to take you back to the by-election because that was when I was recorded in my first ever public position on this bill. I want to tell you that if anybody googles my position on this bill during the by-election they will find that I was in favour of the End of Life Choice Bill. When someone comes to you and says Do you want the right to choose how you end your life?" I said "Yes." It is with a heavy heart today that I announce that I have changed my mind and I will not be supporting this bill in its second reading. I want to walk you through what has changed since I've become an MP and what's led me to this decision. Firstly I'd never even read the bill. So once being elected to the Northcote seat I sat down and read the bill. Secondly I took time to sit on the select committee hearing the many thousands of people—including many from my own electorate of Northcote—who wanted their voice to be heard on this very important and delicate topic that we face today. I held a public meeting and I read much correspondence from many thousands of people who emailed me and who came into my office and many from Northcote voters. So the main reason is really three key reasons that I oppose this bill today. The first is that I am concerned about the lack of safeguards with respect to protecting our most vulnerable in New Zealand. Now of course if you asked me: do I want my right to choose? Yes I want my right to choose to be intact. But it's our job as MPs to make sure that we think outside the realm of the individual to the wider impacts of this bill on the wider New Zealand society. I especially worry about its impact on the elderly. I will tell you Mr Speaker I've had several cases in the last year as an electorate MP of elderly people coming into my office and saying "Dan I need your help. I need your help because my son or daughter has complete control of my financial affairs and I'm worried about my safety." It's brought me almost to tears. So I have very grave concerns about how this bill protects our most vulnerable elderly from coercion.The second in what's been alluded to from previous speeches is certainly around disabilities people with disabilities and people with mental health. And most important is just about the lack of safeguards to protect from coercion. We heard from the select committee that it's very difficult for doctors or lawyers to actually detect coercion. It takes many many months. I don't have confidence that this bill as it's been written has adequate safeguards in place to protect our most vulnerable. Now we could argue that if it goes to select committee or the committee of the whole House that that might change. But again I don't have full confidence in that process. So that is why I rise and vote against this bill.The second and equally important issue is around the message that this bill sends to wider New Zealand. We have the worse youth suicide rate in the OECD. How are we to help them and how are we going to make progress on this bill on this issue if we're sending the wrong message that we don't want people to commit suicide at one end but we're giving you an option to do so at the other end of life. I believe in a world where we strive to protect life and do whatever is necessary to preserve and value life for New Zealanders. So I do rise in opposition to the bill. Thank you."