Seymour David; Rurawhe AdrianEND OF LIFE CHOICE BILLIn CommitteePart 1 Preliminary provisionsDAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT): Mr Chair thank you very much for this call. Part 1 of this bill deals with preliminary provisions. It starts by setting out the Act's purpose—that the purpose is to give persons who have a terminal illness and meet the criteria lawful access to assisted dying and to establish a lawful process for persons who so wish to exercise that option. There is an interpretation section which defines quite a number of terms for the purpose of the bill. I think it's important for people to recognise that those terms are used with very specific purpose throughout the remainder of the bill and therefore often the full meaning of the bill as it's read can only be appreciated if people look to that interpretation section.Clause 4 Meaning of person who is eligible for assisted dying" sets out a number of criteria. A person must be 18 years of age. They must a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident. They must have in the bar 2 version reported back from select committee either a terminal illness likely to end their life within six months or a grievous and irremediable condition. I am proposing a series of amendments in a Supplementary Order Paper which would change those criteria and that is the most significant amendment that I'm proposing in this part of the bill. What I'm proposing is that there be a limitation of the bill so that only those with a terminal illness judged likely to end their life within six months are able to become eligible for assisted dying. The other criteria all of which must be met are that the person must be in an advanced state of irreversible decline in capability. The amendment that I propose would change that and clarify that it be a decline in physical capability.There is a change proposed in the amendment I have which says that the person who is eligible for assisted dying must be a person who passes a new test defining a person who is competent to make an informed decision. This test is that they can understand information about the nature of assisted dying that is relevant to the decision retain that information use or weigh that information and communicate it in some way. I would add that this test is borrowed from jurisdictions around the world that have similar laws allowing people to have assisted dying. I would also say that it has been used in legislation passed by this Parliament in the interceding years since this bill was first drafted and introduced to the Parliament. Finally—a rather mundane clause—of course this Act binds the Crown.Taken together those preliminary provisions set out what this bill is about what the terminology used in the bill is and what kinds of criteria people must meet in order to be deemed a person who is eligible for assisted dying. I look forward to the debate and discussion. I'm sure that there's not really a huge amount to be discussed when people see that most of the issues that have been raised have actually been dealt with in the amendments that I have raised and I hope that we can have a speedy efficient and civil debate on this matter. Thank you Mr Chair.CHAIRPERSON (Adrian Rurawhe): I call Chris Penk."