Hannah Tamaki's campaign manager is calling for her party to make a policy around paedophiles being "euthanised."
Jevan Goulter, the campaign manager and chief strategist for the Coalition New Zealand party led by Hannah Tamaki, also suggested the death penalty be reinstated in New Zealand.
In a video posted to his Facebook page, the 30-year-old said: "If we're going to talk about euthanasia, then we may as well throw in the people that are messing around with our kids."
- End of Life Choice Bill passes second reading
- Hannah Tamaki to lead new political party Coalition New Zealand
- Euthanasia: Simon Bridges blasts Greens, New Zealand First for 'voting on party lines'
Goulter referred to Ratana Church Minister Daniel Brass Raharaha Nehmia, who pleaded guilty in April to historic child sex offending against young boys. He had a history of sexual abuse charges against minors.
"If we've convicted this person three times and we're already talking about euthanasia... then should we not just throw a few of these people in that commit heinous crimes?"
ACT leader David Seymour - whose End of Life Choice Bill seeks to give people over 18 with a terminal illness or a grievous and irremediable medical condition the option of requesting assisted dying - labelled the comparison "insensitive and idiotic".
"I've never looked to the Destiny Church or its associates for guidance on moral issues," he told Newshub.
Last month the proposed assisted dying law passed its second reading in Parliament 70 votes against 50. It's the third reading to watch out for - when MPs vote on the Bill with its major amendments.
Goulter, a media and public relations consultant who's been close with Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki and his wife Hannah for a decade, said there's a "strong argument" for paedophiles to be put to death.
"I see no reason why we shouldn't do that. If we're going to be talking about human life and all the rest of it, they're the ones that deserve it," he said.
"All I'm saying is, if you want to consider euthanasia, we may as well bring back the death penalty and end the lives of these bastards that interfere with our children."
In a blog post, Goulter pointed out the different types of euthanasia, including 'voluntary' and 'involuntary' euthanasia. But it's still different from the death penalty.
Euthanasia is defined as the practice of intentionally ending a life to relieve pain and suffering, while non-voluntary euthanasia relates to consent being unavailable, such as when a person is in a vegetative state.
It contrasts with involuntary euthanasia, when it's performed against the will of the patient.
Under Seymour's Bill, it would remain a criminal offence to assist a person to die "except by an action undertaken by a medical practitioner in the very limited circumstances prescribed".
The death penalty is defined as capital punishment - a government-sanctioned practice whereby a person is killed by the state as punishment for a crime.
New Zealand does not have capital punishment; the death penalty was abolished for murder in New Zealand in 1941 and for treason in 1989.
Goulter said he will be asking the Coalition New Zealand party to consider paedophiles "receiving euthanasia based on a three strikes and you're gone policy".
He also said there was an "economic argument" for it, because it costs "around $90,000 [per year] to keep these individuals in cells".
A Corrections spokesperson told Newshub the average cost of housing a sentenced prisoner in 2017/18 was $330 per offender per day ($120,450 per year), which includes rehabilitation, education and employment programmes delivered in prisons.
During the same time period the average cost of housing a prisoner on remand, who is awaiting trial or sentencing, was $199 per offender per day ($72,635).
Newshub.
