The #DefendNZ movement was born in the turmoil of Act MP David Seymour’s End of Life Choice Bill.
The Bill had passed first reading and had stirred more than 39,000 Kiwis to make submissions to the Justice Select Committee. More than 90% were opposed to the Bill, yet it continued to progress to second reading. It was at this point many began to recognise their voices were not being heard, so they banded together to tell their stories to the Parliamentarians and public of New Zealand.
#DefendNZ was formed to speak up about the risks and the harms the Bill would inflict on Aotearoa New Zealand.
10 March 2019
#DefendNZ campaign launch
The #DefendNZ campaign launched on March 10 with a website and video trailer, and featured on Three’s 6pm Newshub programme. A mini-documentary series was then released one episode at a time over several weeks introducing Kiwis to the stories of a number of people who would be eligible and be put at risk by the End of Life Choice Bill that was before Parliament.
4 April 2019
#DefendNZ book release
‘Vote “No” to Assisted Suicide’ – a powerful and provocative hard-cover book full of stories, photos, expert opinion and facts was published. This was done to provide a better understanding about the impact and outworking of the law being considered.
Every MP received their own personal copy. It presented a collection of writings illustrating #DefendNZ’s reasons for speaking out against the End of Life Choice Bill.
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30 April 2019
#DefendNZ Day in Parliament
All those featured in the #DefendNZ documentary series, as well as experts and ambassadors gathered at Parliament on Tuesday 30 April for a special information expo organised by #DefendNZ. All MPs were invited to the function at the Beehive’s Western Foyer, hosted by then MP Agnes Loheni. The afternoon and evening featured a panel of experts and the screening of all the #DefendNZ documentaries in the Beehive Theatrette.
26 June 2019
Lobbying Parliament up to Second Reading
#DefendNZ representatives again travelled from all over New Zealand to the Capital ahead of the Second Reading of the End of Life Choice Bill on Wednesday 26 June to advocate for the vulnerable
A number of those featured in the book and documentaries made the journey to Parliament to lobby MPs and share their concerns with the media.
13 November 2019
Lobbying intensifies up to Third Reading
The #DefendNZ movement continued to lobby politicians and give voice to concerns in the media right up until the Third (and final) Reading in Parliament. Sadly, despite serious opposition, and after multiple safeguard amendments by MPs were rejected, the Bill was passed into law 69 votes to 51, contingent on a binding public referendum.
The focus of #DefendNZ then shifted to helping every Kiwi make an informed choice about their upcoming vote in the 2020 End of Life Choice Act referendum.
21 April 2020
Voice for Life adopts #DefendNZ
New Zealand’s largest and oldest pro-life organisation, Voice for Life, adopted the #DefendNZ campaign in order to ensure its valuable advocacy work continued. #DefendNZ now consisted of medical specialists, legal experts, academics, activists, advocates, and concerned Kiwis. With a history rooted in Government lobbying, campaigning for ethical medical issues and working with media – Voice for Life mounted a strong campaign on social media, public signage, newspaper advertisements and multiple mailbox drops. This messaging which was seen millions of times in the lead up to the referendum.
17 October 2020
Referendum passed
The binding referendum on the End of Life Choice Act was passed 65.1% to 33.7%, making euthanasia and assisted suicide legal in New Zealand from November 2021. Post-referendum polling revealed that at the time of voting, the majority of New Zealand voters held mistaken beliefs about the nature of the Act and what it actually legalised. Most people wrongly believed that voting for the Act would legalise turning off life support, do-not-resuscitate orders, or the ability to refuse treatment at the end of life. All these options were already legal.
7 November 2021
#DefendNZ relaunched
With the looming threat of the End of Life Choice Act, #DefendNZ recognised that it needed to adapt in order to better protect vulnerable New Zealanders.
#DefendNZ’s purpose shifted to provide an interactive, up-to-date, essential resource to keep New Zealanders protected, to expose abuse, and to improve the current Act in order to reduce the risks to the vulnerable as much as possible.
The movement relaunched its website – now designed specifically with features to provide education, information and advocacy in the new legalised landscape. This included the launch of ‘The Defender’, a platform dedicated to providing current affairs, news and commentaries on topics related to euthanasia and assisted suicide.
A whistleblower system is operating for those needing advice or who have observed law-breaking, with backing from legal and medical experts on call.