EUTHANASIA  BILL  DUPLICITY

Introduction

MP Maryan Street’s euthanasia bill is deeply fraudulent. It is ideologically driven and riddled with chicanery and contrived do-goodism. Yet there is no revealing of this, let alone a challenging of it, from the  leftist New Zealand news media, a challenge which surely cries out to be made.

Euphemistically named the End of Life Choices Bill, it was placed in the NZ Parliamentary ballot late July 2012, and by September 2013 it had been selected. However Ms Street decided to withdraw it until after the 2014 General Election, because she did not want it subjected to “anything other than proper, sober consideration.” (1)

Nevertheless, the fact that here is one more piece of proposed legislation, socialist to the core, as part of the shadowy international and revolutionary agenda  of Secular Humanism. Yet rarely does one ever hear this divulged, let alone does one hear a revealing of the deep personal involvement and bias of the bill’s sponsor. All one is likely to hear are emotional platitudes, such  as in this case, “compassion, dignity” etc.

Covert agenda for revolutionary social change

Firstly about Humanism itself. It has a major concern for population control, and has been described as  “Basically a philosophy which denies the existence of God, and elevates man, reason and science in His place. But, more than just a philosophy, it is a programme for social action.”(2) As for its covert international agenda for revolutionary reforms, decades ago this was broadly as follows and still has much relevance today:-

Easy abortion, euthanasia, easy divorce, abolition of censorship, no religious education in schools,  legalizing of homosexual acts, legalizing of soft drugs, classroom sex education.

Regarding the euthanasia issue, it has been operating at least since the 1960’s, and with  the Australian, New South Wales (NSW) Humanist Society in 1973 issuing a fulsome Euthanasia (Compassionate Death) booklet. Its Introduction baldly declares : “This report is based on the concept held by most humanists, that every individual has the right to choose the time of his or her own death.” (emphasis added)

Note 1 : Not simply those living unbearable lives, etc. as we constantly hear, but every individual, and for any  reason whatsoever.

Note 2 : This fits with the Humanist global concern for population control, as also do the abortion and homosexual aspects of this agenda.

Never reveal the underlying  Humanist influence

In the 1970’s the Humanists brought prominent NSW activist Dr. Jim Woolnough to NZ as part of their crusading zeal. He helped set up the Auckland Voluntary Euthanasia Society (VES) in May 1979, as well as spearheading the battle for the establishment of the  abortion service in Auckland. Typically, the Humanist strategy is  never to reveal the true influence driving its various campaigns, but  instead to establish various fronts, such as the VES for the euthanasia issue.   Some other NZ humanist fronts are, or have been :-

Abortion Law Reform Association of NZ (ALRANZ – still operating)

Homosexual Law Reform Association of NZ  (defunct)

Divorce Law Reform Association of NZ (presumably defunct)

Family Planning Association  via sex education

Councils for Civil Liberties etc.

Various relating to the pursuit of secular education

The merging of Humanists and Rationalists

In more recent years there has been a merging of the NZ Humanist Society with the Rationalists Association. They are now known as the NZ Association of Rationalists and Humanists (NZARH) and their quarterly publication The Open Society, can be found in many libraries. There, one can see much evidence of the continued pursuit of the Humanist agenda. For instance, as recently as September 2013 there were features on homosexual “marriage” being legalised and an article by Maryan Street on her euthanasia bill.

Also in those publications are names of NZARH “Honorary Associates”, including : Richard Dawkins,  veteran NZ media man Brian Edwards CNZM, Ida Gaskin CNZM, Maurice Gee, Dame Barbara Goodman and Dame Catherine Tizard. Dame Barbara, of course was Mayoress of Auckland in the late 1970’s and fronted the Repeal pro-abortion campaign.

Going back a decade or so there is a  most revealing list  of recipients of  what is  known as the Charles Southwell Award for special services to the NZARH cause. As at 2007 the following were listed on the NZARH website http://www.nzarh.org.nz/awards.htm :-

2003      : Michael Laws (then a Radio Live talkback host) “For raising awareness of  controversial issues in a forthright and enquiring manner.”

2002      : Andrew Williams, North Shore (Auckland) City Councillor “For  his defence of the secular state in local government”.  Actually, for lobbying to have the Opening Prayer removed from Council meetings. He was not successful.

2001 : Dr. Philip Nitschke : “For his courageous advocacy of the right to choose death with dignity.” (i.e euthanasia.) A highly disturbing example of his “advocacy” was reported by Radio NZ News on  11^th August 2001, where he had urged a  suicide pill for emotionally troubled teenagers. He : “At a certain age you become old enough to understand about death, and if your life is no longer worth living in your estimation [emphasis added] you have the right to give it away.” Also, years later, this further Nitshke quote, as related by Retired Anglican Bishop Richard Randerson : “When you get someone like Philip Nitschke saying  ‘We should really shorten people’s lives because they’re a charge on the nation that we can’t afford’, we’re starting to measure life at that point in utilitarian and fiscal values.” (3)

2000 : Dr. Zoe During MBE: “In recognition of her many years of campaigning on moral, social and health issues.” – Euphemisms for  homosexuality and abortion issues.(4)

1999 :  Brian Rudman, NZ Herald journalist : “For his many years of equitable and informed [sic] journalism, often supporting views compatible with the objectives of this Association.”

1998 : Te Papa Tongarewa – the Museum of NZ : “In recognition of its defence of freedom of expression during its hosting of the  controversial Pictura Britannica art exhibition.” i.e. the “Virgin in a condom” controversy, which caused huge public outrage. Overseeing it was Museum director Cheryl Sotheron, most likely the true recipient of the award.

Maryan Street : political lesbian and leftist career activist

Where does this leave Ms Street and her euthanasia fellow travellers on this issue? Given the foregoing,  I contend, utterly devoid of credibility; more, practitioners of cultural subversion no less. Given her decades-old record as a radical leftist homosexual activist in the education system, as well as a defender of Cultural Marxism, aka political correctness, this would seem to be a particularly fitting description of her. (5)

As a lesbian activist teacher and prominent member of Auckland Feminist Teachers in the 1970’s-1980’s,  she and her colleagues exploited their positions of trust to politicise teenage girls into adopting anti-male, pro-abortion attitudes as High School Feminists. Inter alia the teachers also founded CAVE, the anti-corporal punishment lobby group, which spearheaded the moves leading to the outlawing of this in schools, the horrendous disciplinary repercussions of which are now evident.

Through the NZ Labour Party’s ranks Ms Street has been a top official over the years, and by 2007 even a Labour Government Cabinet Minister. As its President in 1993, she asserted that homosexuals were essential in teaching, child care, youth groups, and “to help young homosexuals regarding suicide.” (6)

Maryan Street : euthanasia activist

Now we have Ms Street, the euthanasia activist. She is  biding her time until after the 2014 NZ General Election before once more inflicting upon the NZ public her infamous bill. Thus she collaborates with a motley array of  fellow travellers, and with a bewilderingly contradictory array of grounds for their campaigning, such as :-

Maryan Street : “At the heart of this bill is compassion, dignity, and the right of someone with a terminal or irreversible condition to choose the moment when their life and their suffering ends.” (7)

Dr. Philip Nitshke : 1. Emotionally troubled teenagers should  have the right to a suicide pill. 2.”We should really shorten  people’s lives, because they’re a charge on the nation that we can’t afford.” (Both noted as above)

NSW Humanist Society report 1973 : “This report is based on the concept held by most humanists that every individual has the right to choose the time of his or her own death.” (emphasis added)

A major international humanist concern : global population control.(8)

Summary

Maryan Street’s  End of Life Choices bill is deeply fraudulent. It is ideologically driven, riddled with chicanery and contrived do-goodism. Its real objective would seem to be the “right” to choose  one’s own time of death, regardless of health or age factors. Moreover, even that may not be the truly long term goal, but simply a means to an even greater end : as part of covert, international revolutionary social reforms, as shown above.

Conclusion

The question then arises : will the largely leftist NZ news media acknowledge this, and question the motive and philosophical/ideological bias of Maryan Street to be sponsoring the bill?

If a bill was introduced by a known, devout Christian MP to, say, abolish abortion, or for some other hot-potatoe Christian cause, it would never stand a chance, because of the withering  media backlash it and its Christian sponsor would receive.

Yet, when an MP of Maryan Street’s dubious colours sponsors this duplicitous euthanasia bill, all is plain sailing. There is no acknowledgement of its culturally subversive nature, and questioning of this. Nor is there any challenging of her sincerity as an ostensibly deeply concerned and humanitarian individual – a challenge which surely cries out to be made.

References

1.       News in brief in The Open Society, NZARH, September 2013, page 19.

2.       Pat McCarthy : in “Humanism : A philosophy for social action” in Humanity (Auckland NZ) October 1980

3.       In calls to legalise euthanasia in NZ Listener, 15^th August 2009.

4.       The NZ Herald 25/26 November 2000 reported this honour  “for (her) career of tireless and outspoken support for liberal causes : abortion, homosexual law reform” etc.

5.      In Maryan Street’s Maiden Speech in Parliament, where she attacked critics of political correctness, or Cultural Marxism : “The shabby, slovenly thinking behind what is pejoratively termed ‘political correctness’; crass political opportunism.”.  NZ Herald 17 Nov.2005.

6.       Ms. Street heard in a recording of an address she had given to the homosexual Isherwood Trust. Radio GALA, Access Radio Auckland, 13^th July 1993  

7.       Maryan Street : “End of Life Choices  Bill” in The Open Society (NZARH)

      September 2012, page 14.

8.       Population – A Humanist Occasional Paper (Published by the Humanist Information Service of the Humanist Society, Christchurch NZ, May 1976)

Barbara Faithfull B.A.(Psych.Anthr.)

credo@surfer.co.nz

23^rd January 2014